Derailed
by Malcolm Yuy
Summary: Finally updated! Sometimes, life doesn't end up the way you want it. But if you had the opportunity to change it, would you do it, despite what has happened in the past? One man must make that choice...[Takari]
1. Prologue: Fading into the Rain

A.N: Hello everyone, and welcome to my newest Takari. This one, unlike my last one, **Second Chances are so Few** is darker and more mature. This story will have cursing, sexual references, along with use of alcohol. So, if any of you want to back out, I suggest that you leave now. Otherwise, stay tuned for what's coming up…

I got the idea for this fic when I went to New Orleans two summers ago while I was working on my last fic. I didn't want to start working on it though until I got the one done, or else I never would have finished it.

This is just the prologue, so the introduction is really short. I hope you don't get too confused.

So, despite how much different this story is from my other one, I hope you enjoy it. It's time to start the show!!

_1/08/07- Slightly edited for consistency._

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon whatsoever. However, some of the characters and places are of my creation, so I take credit for that, as well as the story idea.**

_Italics: Thoughts, flashbacks…_

* * *

"**Derailed"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

_Prologue: Fading into the Rain_

_It was a dark, stormy night as the rain poured down on the unsuspecting city. The thunder echoed across the night sky as lightening flashed, its blinding light being magnified by surrounding buildings made of glass and concrete. People were moving in a huddled crowd, all carrying umbrellas to shield them from the onslaught of water from above. And there, amongst the crowd, one person was struggling to free their way from the overcrowding masses. It was a young woman._

_I have to get away from him, I just have to, the young woman thought as she squirmed her way through the crowd so that she could cross the street. He shouldn't see her, must not not see her under any circumstances whatsoever. The man in question called out her name as he caught sight of her, also making his way through the crowd so that he could follow the young woman._

_This only made the woman run faster, though. Being ignorant of the traffic in the streets, the young woman began running on the crosswalk into oncoming traffic. The traffic screeched to a halt as the woman crossed, making her way to the other side of the street. She just had to get away from him, get as far away from him at all costs. He must not know what's biting at her, what's eating at her. _

_But the man, being near her age, would not relent. He would not stop until he caught up to her, by whatever means necessary. She meant the world to him, and he would do anything to end her pain, whatever it was that caused her trouble. He just had to catch up to her. After seeing her cross the street in a disorderly fashion, the young man the young man hurried his way through the crowd, with umbrella in hand. He was going to catch that girl even if it meant not attending school the next day._

_The man made his way into the alley that the woman darted into, and called her name again, the rain still pounding down upon them as the chase continued. The young woman cursed herself for not working out in the past few months, unlike the male who was currently pursuing her. She hid behind a dumpster to catch her breath as the young man made his way towards her. She abruptly stopped breathing as the man looked from his left to right, calling out her name, again and again. Her heart began to beat furiously, as she heard every step he made, every advance made to get closer to his objective. She prayed to God that he didn't hear her breathing, or else, it would be the end of her._

_Her eyes widened as she heard him suddenly stop. She was curious as to why he stopped. She slowly stood up, high enough only so that she could peer over the dumpster to see her pursuer. He stood there, clutching the umbrella as she could see him exhale carbon dioxide into the surrounding air. What surprised the young woman was not the state the young man was in- being drenched from head to toe, carrying a black umbrella over his head as he stopped to catch his breath. No. What caught her attention the most was the look in his eyes. Even though the night was dark, and the umbrella hid most of his face in the shadows, she could see his eyes clearly like the sun. And it was the expression in his eyes which hurt her the most. She held her breath as she heard him speak._

"_Where are you?! Why are you running away from me?! Don't you know I would do anything…" the man looked down at his shoes, standing atop the filthy ground beneath them. He sobbed as he looked back up towards the wall standing across from him. "Anything..for you?" He sighed again as he looked around._

"_Where are you?" The woman clutched her heart as she saw him standing there, looking around, for a sign, any sign that the person he was looking for was somewhere close by. She frowned, but she knew she had to keep herself strong for just a few more moments. _

_Just be quiet for a few more moments, just a few more, the girl thought, as she looked down upon her current state. Her clothes, since her confrontation with the young man, were horrible. Soaked in rain, and now, covered with tar and filth, the young woman was disgusted with herself. But she had to keep her composure, at least for a few more minutes. She then looked back up to where the young man was. He was currently looking down at his feet, again. He sighed as he turned around._

_He said her name, a sob escaping his lips, before slowly walking back into the streets of the city. Lightening flashed as she watched him retreat, and, slowly but surely, she made her way from behind the dumpster. When the young man faded into the cityscape, the young woman suddenly sat down and huddled up against the wall adjacent to her._

_And as the rain continued pouring down, she cried…_

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the prologue of **Derailed**. If you have, then I hope you enjoy the first chapter even more. I know there are questions that you want to ask, but I will leave your curiosity up to you until the next chapter.

Please review. Your comments mean a lot to me, and I want to know what you think of this story so far. Plus, it'll give me time to improve.

Now, I will try to submit a new chapter every two weeks. Notice the keyword **try**. I already have the first two chapters completed, and I want to give this space so that it can give me time to work on a new one so I can have one done ahead of time. If my persistence works, then you people won't have to wait as long as you did last time to hear from me. At least, that's what I hope for.

So, until the first chapter, ja ne!- Malcolm Yuy


	2. Happy Anniversary

A.N: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the prologue of this fic, as hopefully it was a good enough introduction to help get you hooked into this story. Now it's time for the real fun to begin.

I hope you enjoy this fic, and as always, please review at the end of the chapter. I always love reviews!!

_1/08/07- Slightly edited for consistency._

And now, it's time for the debut of Chapter 01. Enjoy…

* * *

"**Derailed"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

_Chapter 01: Happy Anniversary…_

The apartment hallway was dark, and so was _he_. _He_ was the current inhabitant of the rent space. _He_ was a young man, a young man tired from the stresses of the day. _He _was exhausted after signing books, and after putting on smiles for all of his loyal fans as the day dredged on at the local bookstore. Who was _he_, one may ask?

His name was Takaishi Takeru. Already twenty-five, and he was one of the most popular authors in the world, if at least not in his home country of Japan.

And he was alone.

Now, why would a young, talented and successful author be alone, one may ask? The man had nothing that deterred him from seeing female members of his species. He had long, shaggy blond hair that was kept neat, combed over to his left side. He had striking blue eyes, eyes that could mesmerize hundreds with their brilliance. And a smile that could make any young female swoon at the sight of him. Not to mention the fact that he had a charismatic personality to boot.

So, what was the defect in this young man? What was his underlying fault?

His underlying fault was that he closed himself up to, one would say, "opportunities" that were presented to him. There were several occasions where the young man could have made a successful pass at members in his species that were deemed "attractive", or just plain "hot," as his friend Daisuke would say. But, when the situation did come, the young man would not move an itch. He would not take what life "tried" to offer him.

And why? Why would this young man skip out on opportunities that other young men his age would die to jump at? Why would he miss out on being able to be with the opposite sex, one may ask?

Because his heart already belonged to another. And today would be their thirteenth anniversary, if _she _were there to celebrate it with him.

And who was _she_?

_She _was Yagami Hikari. And _she _wasthe love of Takeru's life.

And today, Takeru would be spending their "thirteenth anniversary" alone.

Takeru sighed as he turned on his lights in the apartment hallway. He had just gotten home from having dinner with his publisher. He of course had to dress formally for the meal, so he wore a white suit, with a light blue dress shirt and gold tie to match. Formal dinners were all right in his book, but having to wear a tie just drove him to no end sometimes. He hated how that after an hour or two of wearing the fashion accessory, he would begin to feel a strangling sensation around his neck. That was why as soon as he arrived home, he removed the tie from his body as fast as he could.

"Damn neck tie, I hate thee," Takeru said, as he struggled to remove the tie from his neck as fast as humanly possible. As soon as the material was loosened from his neck, he dropped it onto the floor, and then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt. He breathed in relaxation as he made his way over to one of his cabinets, opening it to remove two wine glasses. He placed them on the counter as he then made his way over to his refrigerator, opening the door so he could look at its contents. When he found what he was looking for, he grabbed the object before closing the door altogether. He then took the two glass cups from the counter, and sauntered over to the kitchen table, playing the two wine glasses down along with the object from the refrigerator.

Takeru paused as he wiggled his finger, thinking that he was forgetting something. _What else is missing from this picture again?...Oh yeah, the scrapbook. _Takeru sighed as he made his way over to his office, looking at the bookshelf that was located behind his computer desk.

"Where is it?.." His eyes roamed over his selection of books, including his own as he was able to keep his own personalized copy of each novel he had written. A grim smile came upon his face as he finally located the binder and plucked it from its resting place. He then walked back to the kitchen, and sat down at the table with scrapbook in hand, while one wine glasses was sitting beside it. Across from him was an empty chair, along with an empty wine glass. And, situated in the center of the table, was a bottle of 1969 White Zinfandel, chilled to perfection. He had bought the wine bottle specifically for this night.

He smiled as the cork remover was already in place, clenching the wine cork in its grasp. He moved his hands over to the remover, before grasping it, and with a careful precision, yanked it, along with the wine cork from the bottle. The cork came out, and Takeru then placed away from the other materials on the table. He then poured himself, and the empty seat across from him a glass of wine, before raising the glass to his lips, sipping a good bit of the liquid, before placing it back down upon the table. He then opened his scrapbook, and flipped it to the section he really wanted to observe.

_Moving to Odaiba, _the section was entitled. Takeru's mother loved snapping photos, so as soon as the two moved to Odiaba, she took the opportunity to snap photos whenever the time seemed appropriate. Takeru smiled as he fingered through the local landmarks, until he stopped when he came by a familiar one.

_Heighton View Terrace, _he thought, as he fingered the picture of the apartment complex. This was where _everything _began. This was the place where _the event _occurred, the one that changed his life forever.

It was the night he first saw a digimon.

Now, the digimon was not the only thing that changed his life forever, but it was also _who _the digimon, or digital monster, was with that changed his life as well. The digimon was a dinosaur type, a Greymon, and was with two young children, close to his age. One was a few years older than him. His name was Yagami Taichi, and he would later become the leader of the first generation of the Chosen Children.

So, one could only guess who the other person was.

Hikari was with Greymon as well. And at one time, Takeru, and the friends that were the most important to him, all lived at Heighton View Terrace, all witnessed the event as well. It was this event that would change their lives forever. Because, a few years later after the event occurred, Takeru, and his friends went to the Digital World, and had his first set of Digital adventures, where they all received digimon as well. It would be these events that would help shape his destiny, and help shape him into the man that he is now.

And his digimon was one of the most special. His digimon was named Patamon, and was a bat-pig type digimon, a "Rookie" level as his teammates would later classify it. As a twist of fate, Taichi, Hikari's brother, had a digimon that evolved into Greymon. His digimon's name was Agumon, and he was also a Rookie level.

Not only was Hikari's brother involved in the first set of Digital adventures, but Takeru's brother was involved as well. Ishida Yamato, who was the same age as Taichi, received Gabumon, who evolved into Garurumon. Through these adventures, the two brothers would grow closer, as well as the rest of the group. Takeru smiled as he recalled his Digital adventures. They were so nostalgic.

But they were also painful as well. Because the children were stuck on an island, later named File Island, where they had to battle a sinister digimon, named Devimon. Up to that point in their adventures Devimon was unlike anything the children had ever seen when it came to power. He could manipulate the Black Gears so well, and control powerful digimon like Leomon and Ogremon that the children cowered at his feet. Even when all the older children's digimon evolved to a higher state, called "Champion" mode, they still could not defeat the dark archlord.

It was up to Takeru and Patamon to make the darkness go away. It was then that Patamon finally evolved for the first time into his Champion mode, Angemon. Being appropriate that Angemon was a digimon of Light, and that Devimon was a digimon of Darkness, the two raged in an ongoing battle that shook the island. As the battle raged on, Angemon realized that he and Devimon were equal in power, that no matter how long the two fought, neither one of them would be defeated. It was then that Angemon decided the only he could defeat Devimon was to sacrifice himself, so he channeled all of his energy into one attack. It was that one attack that defeated Devimon, but it was also that same attack that destroyed Angemon as well. Takeru cried as he saw his digimon transforming into data, and thought that it would be the last time he ever saw his digital partner. But Angemon just smiled, saying that it would be okay. Fortunately, Angemon's data was reformatted, and he was reborn as a digiegg. It would take some time before the egg would hatch, and Patamon would be alive and well again.

After the defeat of Devimon, the children encountered the hologram of an old man congratulating them. They were shocked, to say the least, that another human was in the Digital World like them. He told them how they were connected to a legend, a legend where a certain group of humans, called the Chosen Children would come to save the Digital World from evil. He also told them of a gateway to the Real World through another continent called Server, which an even more powerful digimon awaited them. In able to combat this menace, the group would have to obtain objects enabling their digimon to evolve even further. These objects were called crests, and each crest signified each person's strongest trait within the group. After migrating to Server and discovering the crests, the Chosen Children discovered that their quest would not end once they reached the Real World.

Not only would they have to battle the new menace, who was also making preparations to travel to the Real World, but once the Chosen Children were back home, they would have to search for the Eighth Child. And it was this search for the Eighth Child that Takeru had met _her._

Hikari.

And it was since this revelation that Hikari was the Eighth Child that her and Takeru's friendship began. Not only did they become fast friends, but they developed a strong bond for each other that helped conquer the menace that was trying to take over the Real World, Vamdemon. Through the two's love for their brothers, and the power they held within them, their brother's digimon were able to evolve to one of the highest levels in a Digimon's history and defeat Vamdemon. They then had to return to the Digital World to destroy a powerful group of "Mega" level digimon known as the Dark Masters. It was during this time that Hikari and Takeru's friendship developed even further, and their growing ever stronger. During their fight with the last Dark Master, Piedmon, all of the other Chosen Children and their digimon were transformed into keychains. Before one of the group, Takenouchi Sora, was turned into a keychain, she told Takeru to protect Hikari.

And he promised he would.

Piedmon chased Takeru and Hikari, until they ended up hanging by a thread on a rope. Patamon evolved to Angemon to fight Piedmon, but the Mega level jester was too powerful for the angel. Piedmon cripped Angemon, and then went after Takeru and Hikari. Takeru hoped to **Kami **(God) that somehow, someway, the two could be saved and that this nightmare would be over.

And his prayer was answered.

After Piedmon severed the rope Takeru and Hikari were on, Takeru called out to Angemon. Takeru's crest finally activated, and Angemon was finally able to evolve to his "Ultimate" form, MagnaAngemon. MagnaAngemon was able to save the two and defeat the Dark Master, returning the other Chosen Children and their digimon back to normal. After one last fight with Apocalymon, a digimon more powerful than the Dark Masters, the children finally parted with their digimon, returning to the Real World since the Digital World had now become synchronized with its counterpart. Takeru was sad as he had to part from his digital partner, but, he told Patamon that he would see him again. Maybe, that would also hold true for his friends.

And, he did see them again. For three years later, at the age of eleven, Takeru moved to Odaiba. It was there that he had reunited with his friends, and made new ones, ones that would coincidentally end up becoming a new generation of Chosen Children. He met Iori, Miyako, Daisuke, and..

_Her._

It just so happened that Takeru's first class of the day would be with Hikari. This moment also helped change his life, because it was this moment that would start a chain of events that would help him become the man he was today. It was then when he began realizing the depths of his feelings for the Child of Light.

_But why?_

Hikari and Takeru were best friends, and that was all. At least, that's what Takeru wanted to believe. He knew that Motomiya Daisuke, who later became the leader of the second generation of Chosen Children, had feelings of affection for the girl. He didn't want to get in the way. Looking back on it now, Takeru thought it was funny how Daisuke had misinterpreted the situation.

_At first…_

At the first part of the new school year, it seemed like there was nothing going on between Takeru and Hikari. However, as time progressed, and as they witnessed new events in the Digital World, Takeru and Hikari began growing closer. Their bond grew by a tiny fraction each day, and Takeru was happy that he was able to spend as much time as possible around his best friend. However, he kept denying _his _affection for her, feelings that have been rooted in him, ever since the two had become friends in the first place. But Takeru kept on denying these feelings.

Why?

Because he was afraid. He was afraid that if he told Hikari that he was falling in love with her, then he was afraid of the inevitable; she might not return his feelings, and it would end their friendship. And Takeru did not want that to happen at all. He would do anything to keep the bond that they had, so the young blond kept on hiding his feelings locked up.

But locked up feelings never stay harbored for long.

For one day, his feelings came out. It was near the end of the first part of the school year, and Hikari began feeling depressed. The reason why was because digimon were calling for her help. These digimon's power was so great that they pulled her into their world. Before doing so, Hikari told Takeru why she didn't feel good. Takeru wanted to do all he could to protect the Light Child. And in a moment of weakness, he confessed to her his feelings. To say that the two of them were shocked would be an understatement. Amazed would be the more appropriate word. Takeru's confession suddenly made him frightened, so, he did what most people did when they confessed something of great magnitude.

He ran.

And he running away only made matters worse. The digimon after Hikari were able to send her to their dark world. These digimon came from the dark realm of the Digital World known as the Dark Ocean. And they wanted Hikari for a specific purpose.

They wanted Hikari to breed with their master.

Of course, Hikari wanted no part of it. She tried all she could to escape, but it was no use. She tried calling out to her digimon, Tailmon, and her brother, Taichi, but to no avail.

But when she called out for Takeru, he answered. It was through their bond that he was able to reach her, and it was through their bond that he saved her, with the help of his digimon, who armor evolved into Pegasusmon, and Hikari's, who evolved into Angewomon. After being relieved that she was safe, and momentarily forgetting about what he said to her earlier that day, Hikari asked him a question.

"_What did you mean by saying what you said earlier today?"_

Takeru blushed. She just had to recall what he said to her earlier that day. So, being in an awkward situation, again he did what most people would do. He tried to save face.

"_Oh, you know, it was just..stuff…"_

Hikari smiled at him as they continued riding on Pegasusmon in the sky. Her smiling at Takeru made the boy feel weak in the knees. It wasn't fair that he was in this situation. What was going to happen now? How would their friendship progress after this event? Would they even remain friends? He didn't even want to think about it. But, what Takeru didn't know, was that their friendship _was_ about to change. And it was about to become something more. Hikari continued smiling at him, before opening her mouth to speak, and it was with her words that their relationship would change, forever.

"_Well, what you said earlier..I care about you too…"_

A sad smile came on Takeru's face as he remembered her saying that, coming back to reality. He glanced that the pictures a little longer before turning the page. His eyes fell upon a picture, a picture that he and Hikari took while they were in New York together. He fingered it, and a small smile graced his lips as he looked upon it. It was when they were going to visit Mimi, one of the other Chosen Children, and they ran into another Chosen Child, Wallace. They, along with the other Chosen Children, had to help him defeat one of his digimon, who had been infected with a virus. He couldn't help but chuckle when he recounted how Hikari told Inoue Miyako that she was only going just to make Daisuke jealous. The lavender haired girl couldn't help but laugh because she knew it wasn't true.

The truth was…she went so she could spend more time with Takeru. Because, after the Dark Ocean incident, the two became even more inseparable then they already were. During the next year, after they saved the Digital World again…

They began dating.

Takeru then looked over to the next page. On it were pictures of the sights during his first date with Hikari. Takeru took another swig of wine as he remembered that day…

"_Crap, I only got five minutes!" Takeru exclaimed as he was examining himself in the bathroom mirror. He frowned as he noticed that he had a spot of acne on his face. "Why did this have to happen?!"_

"_Why did what have to happen?" Patamon asked, as he flew into the bathroom, landing on the right side of Takeru's sink. He stood up and looked at his human partner. Takeru just continued gazing at the mirror before him._

"_Pata, you're not exactly helping me right now…" Takeru said, as he rubbed the pimple upon his face. He scrunched up his nose in disgust._

"_Well what you're doing isn't helping either. Can I have a look at it?" Natsuko asked, as she stood in the doorway. Takeru turned around to look at his mother._

"_**Okasan**__ (Mother), it's sort of embarrassing…" Takeru looked down at the bathroom floor. Natsuko could only grin as she walked over to her son. When she approached him, she tilted his face up so that he could look at her in the eye._

"_You know Takeru, for being twelve, you still act immature at times," Natsuko replied. Takeru just sighed._

"_I would be acting more mature Okasan if I was going to some normal thing. But what I'm going to is special. It's my first date, and it's with Hikari! I never thought that I'd date her," Takeru said wistfully._

"_Well you are, and you only have three minutes before you have to go pick Hikari up. Now, just let me look at it, __**onegai**__ (please)," Natsuko responded, gripping her son's shoulders so she could get a look at his face. Once she found out what was "wrong" with him, she laughed hysterically. This only made the preteen pout._

"_Okasan, you're not helping!" Takeru screamed. Natusko quieted down as she grinned at the other blond._

"_I'm sorry honey; it's just funny that you're overreacting over a small pimple. It's normal at your age," she replied._

"_So, what if Hikari notices? What then?!" Takeru shouted. Natsuko just smiled._

"_Just stand still, and I'll take care of it, okay?" Natsuko pulled out a small, black case from her pocket, and opened it up. Inside it were various creams. Takeru blushed at seeing it._

"_Oh no, not that. Anything BUT that," Takeru said. Natsuko just giggled._

"_Come on Takeru, do you want to look acne-free or not?" Natsuko asked, placing her hands on her hips. Takeru sighed heavily._

"_Fine, fine. I still can't believe that I have to wear make-up though." Takeru stood there as his mother applied a little touch of make-up to his visage. She then smiled as she marveled at her work._

"_Well, that's about it. Take a look." Takeru turned to look back at the mirror. He smiled as he noticed that his pimple was "gone." He then turned back to face his mother._

"_Thank you Okasan," Takeru said, hugging his mother. Natsuko just returned the embrace._

"_You're welcome. But you need to go. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting," Natsuko said. Takeru smiled._

"_**Hai **__(yes)." Takeru then ran to his closet to grab his jacket, before putting it on. Patamon sat on the bed as he watched his human partner._

"_T.K., are you sure you'll be fine without me?" Patamon asked. Takeru just smiled._

"_Don't worry Patamon, I'll be fine." Takeru patted his digimon's head before heading towards the door. "Well, I'll be seeing you two later. Bye!" _

"_Bye, and have a good time!" Natsuko exclaimed._

_

* * *

__Takeru breathed in heavily as he approached the Yagami residence. He slowly reached a hand out toward the doorbell, but then pulled it back. He examined it as he exhaled ashaky breath._

"_Just calm down, and be yourself, and everything will be all right." Takeru sighed before he finally rung the doorbell. A moment later, he heard a muffled voice from the other side, before the door opened to reveal Yagami Taichi, standing there. The older boy smiled at the blond._

"_Oh , hey T.K., you're right on time. Come on in," Taichi said, standing to the side to allow the blond room to enter. After Takeru entered, Taichi closed the door behind him. "Why don't you take a seat over on the couch? Hikari should be ready any minute by now," Taichi replied, examining his watch. Takeru just plopped down on the couch, while Taichi took his seat in a chair nearby. The two then looked at each other._

"_So, are you excited?" Taichi asked, grinning. Takeru nodded, as he began to feel nervous._

"_Y..yeah, I am," Takeru replied._

"_Will you make sure that she has a good time?"_

"_Taichi, this is Hikari we're talking about. Of course I'm going to try to have a good time with her, I do want to date her after all…"_

"_Will you protect her?" Taichi asked. Silence filled the room as Takeru chose words for his response._

"_Y-yes. Yes I will," Takeru stuttered. A few moments went by, as tension was being built in the air. This moment of silence only made Takeru feel even more uneasy than he already was. Taichi could only smile before he decided to ease the tension._

"_Good, because, since I'm her big brother, I have to honor the code. And you know what that means. If you hurt her, I hurt you. Are you okay with that?" Takeru could only nod. "Great. I hope you two have a good time," Taichi said, his tone relaxing back to his usual self. Takeru just sighed._

"_Thanks. Me too. I just hope I don't screw things up," Takeru said. Taichi just chuckled._

"_Don't worry T.K., I don't think you have to worry too much. My sister's crazy about you," Taichi replied, trying to make the boy feel more comfortable. Takeru lightened up at Taichi's response._

"_I hope so Tai, 'cause I'm crazy about her as well."_

"_I know." Silence then filled the air as Takeru looked around, his eyes darting toward Hikari and Taichi's room and the room they were currently in before resting back on Taichi._

"_Hey Tai, where's your parents?" Takeru asked. Taichi sighed as he looked at the blond._

"_It just so happened that my parents went out because my dad's receiving an award," Taichi said, having Takeru raise an eyebrow. He smiled in curiosity._

"_Really? Tell your father I said congratulations," Takeru said. Taichi grinned._

"_You got it." Right as Taichi finished his sentence, a door opened, which caused the two boys to look in it's direction. Walking out of the door, with her digimon in tow, was none other than Yagami Hikari, walking towards Takeru in all her glory. _

"_Wow..." Takeru could only blush as he thought how beautiful the brunette was as she approached him. The two could only smile at each other as they looked in each other's eyes. Takeru could feel his face flush and his heart beat as he looked into her crimson eyes, and her at his azure eyes. Taichi then coughed, and the two looked at him._

"_**Nani**__ (what)?" Taichi said. Takeru just shrugged it off._

"_Nothing, nothing.." he then turned to look at Hikari. He smiled at her, and she smiled at him in return. "You look.." Takeru wiggled his finger as he tried to find the word. "..you look beautiful tonight Hikari," Takeru said, keeping his smile in place, feeling his cheeks burn up at what he said. _

"_Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself, Takeru-kun," Hikari replied, as her cheeks begin to redden. Takeru smiled as he got up from his seat, as he extended a hand towards her._

"_Shall we go?" he asked, looking down at the girl of his desires. Hikari smiled back at him._

"_Hai. I'm ready whenever you are," Hikari responded, placing her hand in his. Takeru could only felt himself flush more as their hands interlinked. He then turned to look at Taichi._

"_Don't worry Taichi, I'll take good care of her," Takeru replied, grinning at the older boy. Taichi smiled._

"_You better. Now you two go have a good time," Taichi instructed. Hikari looked at her brother._

"_What are you going to do while we're gone, __**Onii-chan**__ (older brother)?" Hikari asked. Taichi just looked down upon his younger sister._

"_Me? I'm just going to be lazy Hika. Now, you two go before I keep you here any longer," Taichi said, shooing the two away. The two laughed as they made their way out of the apartment._

"_Fine, we'll go, we'll go. Later Tai," Takeru said._

"_Later T.K. You two have fun!" Taichi exclaimed._

"_Don't worry, we will," Takeru responded, before the two finally left the apartment…_

_

* * *

_

"_You know, I didn't think they'd actually kick us out of the restaurant," Hikari replied as the two were walking in the park. Takeru just scoffed as he looked at his date._

"_Well, the waiter was looking at you funny. Didn't you see the glare he was giving me?" Takeru asked. Hikari giggled._

"_Yes, I did. I'm also surprised that you had the gall to assault him," Hikari replied. The two stopped under a cherry blossom tree, both facing each other. The moon, resting in the night sky illuminated Hikari's face, making her especially beautiful. Takeru couldn't help but blush as he looked at her._

"_Well, what was I supposed to do? It is sexual harassment. Well, that, and, I felt.." Takeru trailed off as he suddenly looked down at the ground. Hikari couldn't help but grin as she heard the blond's statement. She took her left hand and placed it upon his right cheek, caressing it. This made Takeru's face tinge as his eyes pulled back up to look in her eyes._

"_..jealous?" Hikari asked, finishing the sentence for him. If Takeru could blush anymore, he felt that his face might pop. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he was entranced by her crimson orbs. A hint of a smile formed upon his face as he answered her question._

"_H-hai…" Hikari couldn't help but smile at his answer. Her fingers tickled his face as she brushed them across his cheeks, with her fingers slowly cupping as she made her way towards his nose. Takeru couldn't help but watch her hand as it made its way toward the tip of his nose. If she brushed her fingers across it, then.._

"_No!" Takeru suddenly exclaimed, as he placed his hand over his mouth. Hikari recoiled her fingers as she gave him a look of concern. Takeru dropped his hands as he slightly bowed towards her._

"_Um, __**gomen**__ (sorry) Hikari, I didn't mean to.." Takeru trailed off. Hikari couldn't help but smirk at his response._

"_Then why did you yell at me in the first place?" Hikari asked. Takeru looked away from her and looked down towards the path of the park._

"_Well, um, because.." Takeru blushed as he looked back up at her. Hikari placed her fingers on her nose, rubbing them against its tip. She withdrew them, and then looked at them, feeling a substance against her fingers. After closer examination, she looked back at Takeru. Takeru examined her nervously, as silence filled the air. And then.._

_She laughed. Takeru's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the girl in front of him laugh at his current predicament._

_Great, now she thinks I'm an idiot for trying to hide my acne_, _Takeru thought. Hikari stopped laughing as she saw the look upon his face._

"_Now I see why you didn't want me to touch your nose," Hikari said. Takeru looked away, trying to shift his attention to something else within the park, whether it be a bush or shrubbery. Currently, his eyes were focused on the tree that they were under._

"_Well, I didn't want you to know..I wanted this date to be perfect, and I ruined it. I'm sorry Hikar-" Takeru was silenced as he felt her fingers touch his lips, closing them and stopping him from finishing his sentence. He then looked up at her, and saw something in her eyes. Was it..love?_

"_Don't worry about it Takeru-kun. Despite what happened, I still enjoyed our date," Hikari smiled. This astonished the young blond._

"_But why? First, I contracted acne earlier today. Then, when we actually go out, I can't help but be nervous towards you. Then, if not to make things worse, I overreact with the waiter and it gets us thrown out of a nice restaurant. And last but not least, you then discover that I have been wearing make-up to cover my acne. Why would you enjoy all of that?!" Takeru just couldn't understand why the girl before him enjoyed their "ruined" travesty. She couldn't help but smile at him. She then leaned in, and grabbed both sides of his face, pulling him closer to her._

"_I enjoyed it because…" Hikari trailed off as her mouth touched his, her lips moving softly against his. To Takeru, this was a very pleasant sensation, as he responded to it. Hikari tasted like everything he dreamed of and then some. After a few minutes, the two parted, with the two of them staring into each other's eyes._

"_Because I enjoy being with you, Takeru-kun. I love you, Takeru," Hikari responded, finishing her sentence. Takeru couldn't help but smile as he suddenly embraced her, catching the young brunette off-guard. He then bent his head a little so he could whisper in her ear._

"_I love you too, Hikari.." He then loosened his hold a little, but kept his hold on her as he stepped back to look into her eyes. He smiled, and she returned it. The two then leaned it, and their lips met each other once again. Takeru felt Hikari's hands wrap around his neck, brush the back of his hair. And he couldn't help but smile as he thought how their night turned out, a night that had transformed from what could have been a horrible one to one of the best in his young life…_

Takeru frowned at the memory, as he took another swig of his wine. He then turned the book a few pages, before finally finding what he was looking for. He tilted the book to get a closer look as he examined the picture. It was a picture of his high school graduation. In the photo it showed him, along with Hikari, Motomiya Daisuke, and Ichijouji Ken in their Graduation robes. Ken was on the left side, with pale skin, definitive blue eyes, with long, straight hair as dark as his eyes. Daisuke was to his right, with tan skin, and dark, spiky hair as his arm wrapped around Ken's shoulders.. Takeru was to Daisuke's right, and to his right was love, Hikari. He had an arm snaked around her as she winked at the photo. Takeru smiled at the photo for a moment. That was the summer before their lives began to change.

This was the moment in their lives when they began to transition from teenagers into adults.

Ken wanted to pursue a degree in psychology, while Daisuke really didn't know what he wanted to do. Meanwhile, Hikari wanted to pursue two of her loves: photography and children. She wanted to become a teacher. And Takeru…

He wanted to become a novelist.

Needless to say, it shocked most of his friends once he announced what he wanted to be. Everyone else thought that he wanted to become a famous basketball player, since he was really good at the game. But when they asked why he chose to become a writer instead, he just chuckled as he smiled at them.

"Because, writing's my true passion. Nothing else exhilarates me more than being able to create my own reality."

And he didn't know how true those words rung, for the blond knew that he had no control over the reality that he was in. With the beginning of college, and with him and his friends having to suddenly become more mature, he knew something was going to change between him and Hikari. But he didn't know what exactly.

However, he didn't know that the thing that would change their relationship would change him, forever. Takeru frowned as he turned the pages, finding what he was looking for.

"_Me and Hikari's college apartment…_we had such good times." Takeru took a moment to glance at the photos, his eyes glancing over a picture of his bedroom. A slight tinge of pink graced his features as he looked upon it.

_Those were such good times. I remember being so excited when both our parents consented to letting us little together. We had so much fun together. But, along with the fun, we also had our bad times, like every couple. However, little did I know that the two of us moving in together, living together, would alter both our lives, forever…_

"_You know Takeru-kun, you can be romantic when you try," Hikari smiled as the two made their way in their dorm. They both had come back from a fancy restaurant, dressed in formal wear. And they didn't go there just to eat. They went to celebrate a special occasion._

_It was their fifth anniversary._

_Hikari was wearing a black dress, with a skirt that ended right above her knees, and spaghetti straps lining her shoulders. Takeru wore a dark blazer with matching pants, and a dark red dress shirt with a dark tie to match. Hikari was leaning back against the kitchen countertop, grinning as Takeru closed the door behind them, inching his way over to the brunette beauty. He could only grin in return as he draped his arms around her, and as his eyes caught a sight of hers._

"_So what are you saying Hikari-chan, that I'm usually not romantic?" Takeru asked, smirking as he began closing the gap between them. Hikari only smiled at his response._

"_Maybe." As soon as she finished uttering that word, their lips collided as they began moving against one another. Hikari's arms snaked around Takeru's neck, her hands brushing madly through the back of Takeru's hair as his hands rubbed against her waist. His hands soon decided to go into new territory, as they slithered under the top and onto Hikari's slim chest. The two parted as they both looked each other in the eye. Takeru began to withdraw his hands from her chest, but Hikari shook her head._

"_Don't stop Takeru. Let's keep moving," Hikari replied, as she wrapped her legs around Takeru's mid-section. Takeru could only smirk as the two leaned in closer, and their lips met again, their tongues meeting in a dance of mixed love and desire. Takeru moved his hands from her chest to her back, messaging it. Hikari suddenly parted from him as she moaned in pleasure._

"_Mmm, that feels so good Takeru-kun," Hikari smiled. Takeru smiled back._

"_Shouldn't we continue this somewhere else? In the bedroom perhaps?" Takeru asked._

"_Did you just read my mind? You're a little devil __**Kibou **__(Hope)," Hikari smiled deviously. Takeru's hands made their way to her rear, and cupped her butt, messaging it. This only caused Hikari to moan more._

"_Only because of how you make me feel __**Aura**__ (another term for light, since Hikari in Japanese means "light")," Takeru answered. Takeru then lifted the brunette into his arms, and carried her into his bedroom, kicking his door open as the two made their way inside. He then softly dropped Hikari on top of the bed, and the two grinned as he bared his weight on her as the two continued to kiss, their hands moving to different regions of each other's body. Clothes began coming off as the evening passed, as burning touches and kisses graced their bodies. _

_Soon, the only thing covering Hikari was Takeru, and his comforter. Takeru trailed kisses down Hikari's neck as Hikari leaned back, her eyes closed as she moaned in pleasure, her arms wrapped around Takeru's back, trailing along it as she was pressing him as close to her as humanly possible. Takeru then stopped as he leaned back, causing Hikari to open her eyes. Takeru gazed into them._

"_Hikari, are you sure you want this? Are you sure you want this with..me?" Takeru asked, feeling a little uncertain. Even after all the joy and pain the two had gone through together during the past five years, he still wanted to be sure that she loved him, that she wanted to be with him. Hikari could only smile as she took one of her hands, and cupped his cheek, having his face move closer to hers._

"_Of course I want this with you. I want this only with you. I want to be with you, only you, and no one else Takeru." This calmed Takeru as he smiled at her response. "Now, are you sure you want this with me?" Hikari asked in return._

"_Hikari, you should know by now I feel about you. I want nothing more to share this with you, and you alone. I want to be with no one else but you, Hikari. I want to be with you for all of eternity." Hikari was brought to tears of joy as she smiled at Takeru._

"_Oh, Takeru, I love you so much," Hikari said. Takeru smiled as he wiped her tears._

"_And I you, Hikari." He then bent down to kiss her once more. After a few moments, the two began moving in motion together._

_And in that night, Takeru and Hikari became one for the first time…_

Takeru grimly smiled as the sipped more of his wine. That memory had been one of the more memorable to him, if not the most. As he placed the glass back onto the table, he had pondered what had gone wrong.

_What did I do wrong, Hikari? I wish I knew… _Takeru balked as he vaguely imagined Hikari in his mind. Her image was faint, slowly fading as the years had progressed. After all, it had been seven years since _it _happened.

_Look at me now. Look at what I've become, _Takeru thought, spreading his arms as if addressing himself to some unknown presence within his residence. After _it _happened, the blond had begun regressing. He began refusing the comfort of his friends, and began indulging himself into his work. Nightmares and bad dreams plagued the young man's mind as the years went by, as he tried everything he could to forget the young woman that had become known as his other half.

Takeru frowned as he began turning the pages again, until he landed onto the last few pages of his scrapbook. Above his last little collage of photos, read the last headline.

"_Zahn Jewelers…" _It was this memory that had hurt him the most. And it was this memory that would haunt him forever…

_It was a cloudy day as the young blond entered the store, the bell ringing as he and four others made their entrance. An elderly man with long, grey-white hair, wearing spectacles smiled as they made their entrance, with Takeru approaching him. _

"_Ah, why hello there young man, and welcome to Zahn's Jewelers. My name is Zahn Rai. How may I be of service to you today?" the man asked, a smile in his eyes as he looked at the young man standing before him. Takeru smiled nervously as he prepared a response._

"_Um, I..I was won-wondering if..you had any..engagement rings?" Takeru asked nervously, gulping as he waited for the other man to respond. The other four in his group just laughed at Takeru's nervousness. This didn't help the young lad as he turned his head to glare at them. He then turned to look back at Zahn._

"_Yes, as a matter-of-fact, I do young sir. If you come follow me, I will show you to where they are located," Zahn answered. Takeru could only nod as he and his companions followed the elderly man to the back of the store, where the engagement rings were. Takeru looked down as he approached a long, glass case that extended from almost one side of the store to the other, save for a little space between the case and the wall, where the merchants would use to approach the back of the case. Zahn examined the young man as he glanced at the rings, with the other four individuals following his gaze. _

"_Anything catch your eye?" Zahn asked. Takeru just shook his head._

"_No, not yet." He then turned his head to the others. "Well, are you guys just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?" The others sighed as they approached the case, their eyes examining several rings._

"_Dude, it's so hard to choose..I'm glad I'm not you Takeru," Daisuke chuckled as he shook his head. Takeru just glared at his friend. One of the others saw his look._

"_Um Daisuke, you may want to take that back," Ken muttered, his hand brushing the back of his long, royal blue hair. Daisuke just sighed._

"_Fine, fine. Whatever makes you feel better Ken," Daisuke said. Takeru's face softened as he smiled at Ken._

"_**Arigato **__(thank you)," Takeru stated. Ken smiled._

"_You're welcome." The two then went back to glancing at the rings. A few moments later, two other voices piped up._

"_Hey, I think we found something!" The owners of the two voices growled as they looked at each other. Takeru walked over the owners of the two voices. Both of them were about the same height as he was, but one had a much closer resemblance to him than the other. One had longer, straighter blond locks then Takeru had, but the two both had the same azure, blue eyes, and was clearly older than the other blond._

_Meanwhile, the other standing next to the older blond looked almost completely different. He looked somewhat similar to Daisuke; tan skin, brown eyes. But he was just as old as the other blond, and with a more tamed, but nonetheless slightly spiky brown hair. Takeru sighed as he looked at his peers. "What's up with you two?" _

"_Well Takeru, I think that I-"_

"_Oh come on __**Matt**__, you know I found it first!" Taichi exclaimed, clearly getting angry at the other boy's comments. The other boy, Yamato, just scoffed._

"_Oh come on Taichi, you know I found it way before-"_

"_Can you two just stop arguing? At the rate you two argue, if Hikari and I __**do **__get married, I won't involve either of you in the wedding. You got it?" Takeru asked. The two suddenly stopped arguing as they nodded at the younger blond. Takeru then sighed in relief. "Thank you. Now, before you two started babbling, what was it you wanted to show me?"_

"_This." Yamato pointed to what he and Taichi were examining earlier, and Takeru's eyes widened at what he saw. There, lying amongst other engagement rings, was a beautiful, twenty-four karat gold ring, with white embroidery along the band, a white diamond sitting atop the band's center, with a pink jewel encrusted into the center of the diamond. Takeru could only smile._

"_I think you two helped me pick out the perfect ring for Hikari," Takeru grinned, as he turned to look up at the store owner. "May I have that ring, please?" He pointed to the ring that Taichi and Yamato had found. _

"_Why certainly. What size is the finger of the young lady's?" Zahn asked. _

"_Well, I don't know exactly, but I have it written here," Takeru answered, as he handed the merchant a little piece of paper. Zahn tweaked his glasses as he examined it._

"_Ah yes, now I see." Zahn walked to the wall adjacent to the glass case. There was a black drawer set, and Zahn opened one of the drawers. After looking for a few minutes, he pulled out the appropriate copy of the ring that Takeru had chosen. "Now, if you follow me, I'll get you checked out." The five young men followed the elderly man back towards the front of the store as they reached the cashier. Takeru pulled out his wallet as Zahn entered the price of the ring._

"_That'll be sixty-eight thousand, eight-hundred and fifty-six yen (roughly six-hundred U.S. dollars)," Zahn answered. Takeru and the others gasped at the price. Daisuke turned to look at him._

"_Takeru, are you sure you want to buy that ring? I don't think you have enough money," Daisuke said. Takeru turned to look at his maroon-haired friend._

"_And how would you know, Dai? After all, I have credit." Takeru turned back to the store-clerk. "Do you accept credit cards?"_

"_Fortunately, I do." Zahn smiled._

"_Here then." Takeru handed Zahn the card as he swiped it through the card scanner. After typing in a few keys, he handed the card back to Takeru. "So, what is the name of the young lady you plan on giving this do?" Zahn asked._

"_Hikari." Takeru smiled as he received his card. "Thank you."_

"_Beautiful name. Must be a beautiful young woman, am I right?" Zahn smirked as Takeru nodded at his question. "Good. Well, good luck. I think you'll need it."_

"_Thanks Zahn-san, me too." Takeru flashed the old man a smile as the five headed out of the store. Takeru turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke, next time you say something like that, remind me to give you a good beating," Takeru said. Daisuke scoffed._

"_Now why would I want to do something like that?" Everyone else laughed, and Daisuke soon joined in their laughter as the sun shown some of its rays. For a little. The clouds then hid the light, as the quintet suddenly felt darkness envelop them as they reached an intersection. The five then stopped and looked at one another. _

"_Well guys, it's been fun, but I have to get back to work. I'll see you all later," Daisuke said, smiling at the other four. They returned his smile. He then turned to face Takeru. "And good luck with Hika man. I think you'll need all the luck you can get." Takeru nodded._

"_For once Daisuke, I think we can both agree on that one. Later man," Takeru said as the two gave each other a high five. They then chuckled as Daisuke began to leave. "Later!" he then waved as he left. Ken then glanced down at his watch._

"_Damn, I forgot! I'm supposed to be at Miyako's in five minutes! I'll see you guys later!" Ken exclaimed, as he ran after Daisuke. He then turned his head back. "Oh, and good luck Takeru!" he yelled._

"_Thanks Ken!" Takeru then turned to look at his two "brothers." Well, one was his actual brother, but..the other one may become one soon, if things went as planned. However, Takeru already considered Taichi a brother as long as he was concerned._

"_Well Squirt, I'd love to stay and joke around, but I have a concert rehearsal to get to, and classes to study for. Call me tonight and tell me the results, got it?" Yamato asked, smirking. Takeru could only grin in response._

"_You know I will Onii-chan," Takeru replied, as the two hugged one another briefly. They then released, and Yamato then turned to face Taichi. "Uh, sorry about the argument earlier man. I'm cool about it if you are," Yamato said, extending a hand. Taichi looked at it for a moment, and then smiled at Yamato._

"_Cool." The two then shook hands, doing their "friend handshake," before laughing it off. Yamato then turned back to look at his brother._

"_Well, bye Takeru." Yamato smiled as he ruffled Takeru's hair, before leaving Takeru and Taichi to themselves. Takeru smiled as he saw Yamato's retreating back._

"_Bye Yama," Takeru said. He then turned to face Taichi. "Let me guess, you have to go too?" Takeru asked._

"_Sorry T.K., but you know I have to. It's been great seeing you man," Taichi replied. Takeru extended his hand, with Taichi taking it. Taichi then caught the younger man off-guard by suddenly pulling him in a hug. "Don't worry about it Takeru, I'm sure you'll make Hikari happy. You sure have my blessing," Taichi whispered, grinning from ear-to-ear. Takeru smiled as the two backed away from one another._

"_Thanks Taichi. This really means a lot to me, you know?" Taichi nodded._

"_I know. Good luck tonight. And could you call me as well afterwards? I want to know all the details," Taichi said. Takeru just shook his head._

"_Now you're beginning to sound just like Miyako, and trust me, that's not good," Takeru replied. Taichi just chuckled._

"_So, this is my little sister we're talking about here…Anyway, it's been nice talking to you. Later Takeru," Taichi simply waved. _

"_Bye Taichi.." Taichi walked off, leaving Takeru to himself. The blond grinned as he pulled his new purchase out of his pocket, examining the velvet box with delight, opening it to reveal the ring._

"_Just wait 'till Hikari sees this. Man, I hope she accepts my proposal. Oh well, you go back in my pocket, for now anyways," Takeru said to the ring, before clasping the box shut and placing it back in his jacket pocket. He gripped his umbrella as he looked up at the sky._

"_Man, it looks like it's going to rain today," Takeru said to himself, as he watched the cars pass in the intersection. Soon, the cars came to a halt as the "WALK" sign. Takeru glanced at his watch._

"_Man, it's beginning to get late. I better get home and change before Hikari does," Takeru said to himself. Takeru had to change clothes because today wasn't just another ordinary day for him and Hikari. Today would be the celebration of their sixth year together as a couple. And tonight, the young eighteen year old planned to further change his and Hikari's life. _

_He planned to propose to her. To have her become his wife._

_Takeru began finally smiled as he began crossing the intersection, along with people who were going in the opposite direction he was. The sky began to darken as night began to fell upon the city. Takeru felt his left side collide with something, or rather, someone as he was crossing the intersection. He turned to his left as he looked at who hit him._

"_Sorry, I.." the person stopped talking as they stood there, looking at Takeru in the eyes. Rain began to fall upon them as the two looked at one another. Takeru smiled as he saw the person that he had bumped into._

"_Oh hey Hikar-" Takeru was cutoff as Hikari, the person in question, began running in the opposite direction. Takeru raised his umbrella to shield him from the rain as he began chasing after the girl._

"_Hikari, wait!" Takeru exclaimed as he followed her back towards where he came. Hikari zigzagged through the people as she tried getting away from the young man, as the rain poured down upon them. Lightening struck abruptly before Takeru as his eyes followed her, before thunder soon followed after. He just had to catch up to her._

"_Why are you running away from me, Hikari?" Takeru asked himself as he continued chasing after her. He shouted her name again as he was about to reach her, as she was waiting at another intersection. He smiled as he made his way towards her._

"_What's wrong with-" Takeru was cutoff again as Hikari suddenly began running across the crosswalk without warning. Cars suddenly halted their brakes as their tires screeched, allowing the brunette to make her way over to the other side. Takeru continued watching her as much as he could, his eyes seeing her run into a dark alley. He then waited until it was safe to cross, and when it was so, he ran as fast as he could across the crosswalk and onto the other side of the street._

"_Hikari!" Takeru exclaimed as he made his way into the alleyway. He stopped as he caught his breath, slowly making way to the back. There, in a narrow crook, was a dumpster. Takeru looked to his left and right for any sign of where Hikari may be, but to no avail. He began calling out her name, again and again, until he couldn't yell anymore. He then looked down at his shoes depressingly._

"_Where are you?! Why are you running away from me?! Don't you know I would do anything…" Takeru paused as he looked back up to the path to his right, before looking back up towards the dumpster._

"_Anything..for you?" He sighed as he began looking around again. "Where are you?" he asked. He then looked around for a few more moments, before sighing again as he looked down at his feet. He then began turning around, as tears began to form in his eyes._

"_Hikari…" Takeru sniffled as tears slowly made their way down his face. Then, slowly but surely, he began making his way back towards the street, keeping his head down all the way…_

_And after that night, Takeru hasn't seen Hikari ever since…_

Takeru sobbed a little as he finally closed his scrapbook. He then took a napkin and dried his eyes off, before placing it back down upon the table. After sipping the last of his wine, he took his wine bottle and refilled his glass, shaking his glass his little as he examined it. A sad smile appeared on his face as he then extended the glass forward, having it softly clink with the wine glass sitting across from him. And before he finally devoured his glass of wine in one gulp, Takeru solemnly extended the glass to the air, as a grim smile made its way upon his face.

"Happy Thirteenth Anniversary Hikari, wherever you are…"

* * *

And that's a wrap for the first chapter of **Derailed**, people. I surely hoped you read that chapter as much I had writing it. Just wait until the next chapter comes, for the plot will thicken…

As always, read and review, and until the next chapter, ja ne!!- Malcolm Yuy


	3. Life Goes On

A.N.: Hello people! I'm sorry for the long overview on Seasons 01 and 02, but I felt it was needed to help the story flow together. After all, if it wasn't for what happened, Takeru and Hikari wouldn't have met. Anyways, sorry for the long blab…and now it's time respond to the reviewers..

_1/08/07- Edited for consistency and errors._

And now, to move on to the story.

Synopsis: In the Prologue, we found a young woman running away from a young man. For whatever reason, she wanted to get away from him, and ultimately, she did. In Chapter One, we discovered that the woman who ran away was Hikari, and that the man chasing her was her lover, a now twenty-five year old single man named Takeru. During the past seven years Takeru had worked on his first Digimon novel while attending Tokyo University.

Now graduated and published, Takeru is now a success in both Japanese and English Literature. But unfortunately for our young protagonist, one night proved very trying for him, as it was the "thirteenth" year of his love for Hikari. Will our blond hero be able to move on from this traumatic experience, and move on with his life? And what about his friends and family? How are they involved?..

Well, in this chapter, the story will begin to pick up as Takeru's friends enter the picture.

And now to present Chapter 02…action!!

* * *

"**Derailed"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

_Chapter 02: Life Goes On..Even When You Don't Want It To_

The alarm clock rang with a buzz as Takeru awoke with a jolt. He gripped his head in pain as he turned his clock off. He slowly opened his eyes as he felt the pain in his head subside..for a moment. He closed his eyes as he felt the pain reverberate in his head.

_Damn, what happened last night? _Takeru thought, as he struggled to open his eyes. As he got out of bed, he looked down to examine himself. He found that he was still wearing the same suit from the day before.

"Damn, I must've gotten wasted," Takeru said to himself as he walked over to his closet. He took off his white jacket, soon to be followed by his shirt and pants. He then tossed his socks in his clothes-hamper, which left him only in his boxers. He then slowly walked into his bathroom, making a detour to his closet as he grabbed a towel, washcloth, and bathrobe with slippers.

About twenty minutes later, Takeru arose from the bathroom, attired in his bathrobe and slippers. He certainly felt better, after taking some painkillers. He ran a hand through his blond locks as he made his way into his kitchen. He took out a glass from a nearby cabinet, before making his way to the refrigerator to pull out a carton of milk. He then filled the glass, before sealing his milk carton and placing back in the fridge. He then walked over to his answering machine, pushing the "PLAY" button as he began drinking his milk.

"_You have three new messages," _his answering machine said. Takeru rolled his eyes as he waited for his messages to be played back. A beep was heard, before the first message was played.

"_Hey Take, this is Yama. I just called to check up on you. I hope you're doing okay bro," _Yamato's voice said as Takeru began making himself a bowl of cereal. Takeru grimaced as he took a bite of out the corn flakes.

"Yamato, I don't need you to baby me. I'm twenty-five for Christ sake," Takeru said as he continued eating. He then took another sip from his glass of milk.

"_Look Takeru, I just hope you're doing okay. I know today is a bad day for you, so I just want to support you the best way that I can, and I..I miss you. I know you're busy, but please, could you visit me and Sora sometime? Ika's been begging to go see her favorite uncle, and Sora has been worried about you, and I have too. So please Take, if you get this message..please call me back. Bye," _Yamato said. Takeru sighed as he finished eating his breakfast. He then heard the machine click.

"_Second message playback.." _A beep then followed.

"_Greetings Takaishi-san," _a female voice spout on the other line.

"Greetings Kuwu," Takeru responded with an irritable smile.

"_Takaishi-san, I and the rest of the people at the publishing company have finally declared a winner for your contest. Do you have pen and paper?" _Kuwu asked. Takeru quickly grabbed a notepad and a pen.

"Right here," he said.

"_I hope I gave you enough time to gather writing material. The winner of the contest is a Green, Hikeru, a seven year old boy from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is currently in the second grade, and he attends R.M._ _Lusher __Elementary__ School, Seventy-three fifteen Willow Street. We already have bought your ticket for the flight. It should get to your residence any day now, and you should be prepared to leave next Monday. You will spend a week, and then return on the following Sunday. Take care." _The machine beeped as the second message ended.

"A Hikeru Green, huh?" Takeru asked to no one, as he pronounced the winner's name in the American fashion. A few months ago, after Takeru had published a previous volume of his work, his publishing company, _Scholastic, _had advertised a contest. When one person bought one of his books, they could go online and enter the serial number on the book to receive a chance at winning a meeting with him. Not only would they meet Takeru, but Takeru would be able to spend a week with them, with them asking questions about him and all that. And if they so wished, he could read aloud from a part of his book as well.

And it just so happened that a young boy won. Takeru sighed tiredly.

"Well, it could've been worse," he said to himself. His answering machine then began speaking again.

"_Third message playback.."_

"_Hey Takeru, it's Ken. Daisuke and I were wondering if you wanted to hang out, you know, like old times. We miss you and would like to know what you're up to since you hardly talk to us. Just in case you're wondering, Daisuke's doing very well with his noodle cart. Not to mention he just became a daddy. And with me, well…I think Miyako may be due soon as well. Anyway…if you get the chance to talk, please call us, we miss you. Bye," _Ken said on the other line.

"_End of final message." _The machine then stopped talking. Takeru sighed as he messaged his temples.

"Damn people," Takeru said as he had his eyes closed. "I guess I've been leaving them hanging for long enough." Takeru then took his phone off of the receiver and navigated the phone menu until he reached his brother's number. He then pressed "DIAL" and waited as the phone on the other line began to ring. After a few moments, someone picked up on the other line.

"_Hello Takeru_," a feminine voice replied on the other line. Takeru smiled as he noticed the voice.

"Why Sora, how did you know it was me?" Takeru smirked.

"_Easy. We have a little thing called 'Caller ID'. So little brother-in-law, how come you haven't returned any of our calls lately, hmm?_" Sora asked.

"Well Sora, I would have, but I've been a little preoccupied-"

"_Preoccupied, right..Personally, I think that's a bunch of bullshit Takeru-kun. What would make you so preoccupied right now to not talk to your family_?" Sora asked angrily on the other line. Takeru winced at the sound of her voice.

"Sora, you know how I've been busy," Takeru said nervously.

"_I know, but you can't be too busy writing to not talk to your brother. Come on Takeru, you need to talk to us more. Come visit us sometime, we miss you. You don't know how much Ika misses 'Storytime with Uncle Takeru,_'" Sora said. Takeru could only grin.

"I'll bet."

"_Is there_ _anyway that you could visit us in the near future? We would like to see you sometime,_" Sora said.

"I guess I could. I'm pretty much free for the rest of this week. Next week I have to go to America though," Takeru replied.

"_What for?_"

"My publishing company sponsored a contest. They just declared a winner, so I have to head over there to spend time with them for a week," Takeru explained.

"_Oh, well I hope you enjoy that._"

"Me too." Takeru smiled as he closed his eyes.

"_Hey_ _Takeru, would this afternoon be good?_" Sora asked.

"What time?" Takeru asked.

"_Hmm, let's see…I guess four would be okay. I think Yama will be back from band rehearsal by then,_" Sora answered.

"Great, I'll see you three then," Takeru said.

"_Good. Bye then,_" Sora said.

"**Sayonara **(Bye)," Takeru said. He then clicked the "OFF" button on his phone. He sighed. "Well, I better go get ready then…" He then placed the phone back on the receiver, before leaving the kitchen to go get himself ready for the day…

* * *

"So what has been keeping you _so _preoccupied that you couldn't visit your only brother?" Yamato asked as he took a sip of tea. Yamato and Sora sat across from Takeru as he was looking down at his teacup. Takeru slowly looked up at them.

"Work," was all Takeru could mutter as he decided to look back down at the table. Sora gave Yamato a glare and elbowed him in the arm as the older blond looked at his brother sourly.

"Well, it must be interesting, working on a new novel..is it?" Sora asked. Takeru looked back up at the redhead.

"Yeah, I guess so. It really sucks though when your publisher tries to rush you though," Takeru said, taking a sip of his tea. Yamato grinned.

"I bet. So Takeru, is there anything else that's been happening in your life other than work lately?" Yamato asked. Apparently his question caught his younger brother off-guard, as his eyes widened, and he almost choked on his tea. Sora and Yamato both gave him looks of concern as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked. Takeru sighed as he stopped coughing.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Takeru said, as he tried waving off their concerns. Takeru raised one of his eyebrows as he noticed that Sora was giving him a peculiar look. "What?" he asked.

"Well, it's just that..you don't look too good, now that I think about it. Have you been taking care of yourself lately Takeru-kun?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, you look..tired," Yamato commented. Takeru only shook his head.

"I'm fine you guys, really, I am. I just haven't slept that great recently," Takeru said. The last thing he wanted to tell them was what was really going on. He took a sip of his tea as he looked at his brother. "So, where's my niece?" Takeru asked.

"Right here Unca T.K.!" a little voice yelled, as she made her way into the room. A little blur of red ran by, before she shocked her uncle by jumping into his arms. Lucky enough, he had placed his teacup back on the table beforehand, so nothing broke. Takeru smiled down at his niece as he hugged her.

"So how have you been, my little Ika?" Takeru asked, as he rubbed noses with his relative, looking into her blue eyes, which was the same shade as his. Ika could only giggle.

"Great!" she exclaimed.

"That's good to hear," Takeru said.

"Yeah, and I've been doing good in preschool. Wanna see my drawings?" she asked. Takeru smiled as he ruffled her hair.

"Sure, kiddo." Takeru followed Ika as she ran out of his arms and ran back to her room. He then looked at her parents. "Cute kid. Maybe she'll be like her mother someday," Takeru said. Sora only smiled, as Yamato wrapped an arm around her.

"We can only hope," Yamato smiled. "Well, speaking about kids…" Yamato trailed off as his daughter made her way back into the room, grinning as she showed her uncle her drawings.

"Are they pretty?" Ika asked, as she looked up into her uncle's eyes. Takeru could only smile as he examined the drawings. Of course, for a three year old, they were pretty crude, but still cute to the human eye. Takeru could only chuckle as he again ruffled his niece's hair.

"They sure are, kiddo." He then turned to his brother. "What was it you were saying earlier? Something about kids?" Takeru asked, as Ika looked at her parents, awaiting what they were going to say.

"Well, I was going to say, before I was _rudely _interrupted," Yamato said, giving his daughter a sharp look. Ika blushed as she looked away.

"Sorry Daddy," Ika said. Yamato laughed.

"Don't worry about it sweetie, I was just kidding. Come over and give your daddy a hug, will ya?" Ika giggled as she ran over to her father, and Yamato lifted her into his arms. He smiled at her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning back to his brother. "As I was saying, it looks like…"

"..I'll be expecting," Sora finished, blushing as she was looking down at the table. Takeru looked at the couple in astonishment.

"Really? Congratulations!" He exclaimed, smiling at the couple. Sora looked up and smiled back at him.

"Thanks Takeru-kun, that really means a lot," she said.

"No problem. So, when will you be expecting?" he asked.

"Hmm, well..I'm about three weeks along, so I say about another eight months," Sora said. Ika turned to look at her mother.

"What does this mean Mommy?" she asked. Sora turned to look at her daughter.

"Well it means Ika that you might be getting either a brother or a sister. Can you imagine, you might be a big sister!" Sora exclaimed. Ika smiled.

"Really? I can't wait then," Ika said. Takeru could only grin as he watched the conversation between that family.

"Oh, you say that now…just wait until the baby is born," Yamato said. Ika looked at her father.

"Huh?" she asked, the question catching her off-guard. Yamato just shrugged it off.

"Nothing honey, nothing. Now why don't you go back to your room and play with your dolls, huh? Mommy and I want to continue talking to Uncle Takeru. Is that okay with you?" Yamato asked, looking his daughter square in the eye. Ika nodded.

"Uh huh. I'll go now. Bye bye!!" she yelled, giving her father a quick kiss before running off to her room. Yamato could only smile as he looked after his daughter. "Man, I love my life. Great wife, great daughter. What more could a man ask for?" Yamato asked. That question made Takeru depressed as he started thinking about his own life.

_Hikari…_

"Takeru, are you okay? You look sad," Sora inquired. Takeru looked up at her, trying to dispel his feelings of sadness as he forced a smile at her.

"No Sora, I'm fine. Trust me, I am," Takeru said. Sora narrowed her eyes as she looked at her brother-in-law.

"Okay…" she then looked over to her husband as she heard him speak.

"Wait a minute, wasn't yesterday…"

"What about yesterday?" Takeru asked, hoping the two weren't catching on. Unfortunately for him, one of them was.

"Oh, I now what it is now. Yesterday was the day-"

"Yamato, please don't say anything," Sora said, hushing her husband. Yamato turned over to give his wife a glare.

"But why no- sigh fine…" Yamato said, looking away from her. Takeru shook his head.

"No, it's fine Sora, really…after all, it has been seven years," Takeru said. Sora just gave her brother-in-law a look of concern.

"Do you still love her?" Sora asked. Takeru frowned as he looked at her. Slowly but surely, he nodded his head solemnly.

"But Takeru, shouldn't you try moving on? She could be dead for all we know! What if she-" Yamato stopped talking as soon as he saw his brother giving him a glare in his direction.

"You don't understand anything, do you Onii-chan? How could you? You have Sora and Ika. You'd never understand," Takeru said, getting up, walking over to the door to grab his jacket and shoes. He slipped them on and began to leave the apartment.

"Takeru," Sora said. Takeru stopped as he looked back at them, standing in the doorway. He sighed as he looked at them.

"Look, I'm sorry you two. But perhaps I was wrong. Maybe I really don't feel like talking about it right now." He then looked at his watch. "Look, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." And before Yamato and Sora could say anything more, Takeru slammed the door on them as he left the two alone. Sora turned to glare at her spouse.

"You just had to bring that up," Sora said. Yamato raised his hands in the air.

"Well it's been seven years Sora! You'd think he'd be over it by now," Yamato said. Sora just shook her head.

"You know Yamato, Takeru is right, you don't understand." She then got up, and got her jacket and slippers. She just gave him a look.

"Where are you going?" Yamato asked, looking at his wife in question as she opened the door.

"Out." She then slammed the door on him as she left Yamato to himself. Yamato sighed tiredly as he looked down at the able.

"Man, why did I have to open my big mouth?.."

* * *

_Why did Yamato have to remind me of her? Damn you Yamato, _Takeru thought as he began walking back towards his apartment. He looked down toward his feet as he carried his hands in his pockets. One would think that seven years would be enough time for the young man to get over his lost love. However, for Takeru, things just weren't that simple. Hikari was his one and only love, and Takeru felt that it would stay that way. Forever…

_Well, now that I think about it, it really wasn't Yama's fault…after all, he was just trying to help me out. He is my older brother, and all he was trying to do was comfort me. _Takeru sighed. _I just need to get over her, _Takeru thought solemnly as he looked up at the sky. The sun was out earlier in the day, but, by midday, that had changed. Clouds had formed in the Tokyo area, and had enveloped the sky, leaving it overcast. Takeru sighed as he continued walking.

_I hope I don't get rained on…_ Takeru thought. He then began hearing a noise as he passed through the crowd on the sidewalk. As he continued listening to it, he discovered that it was a voice, and it was calling his name. _I wonder who's calling my- oh, _Takeru thought as he turned around to see Sora face-to-face. She was puffing as she looked up at him. Takeru widened his eyes as he looked at her.

"Sora?"

"Look Takeru..I just want…to apologize…for..you know," Sora said, looking away as she pressed her fingers together, hoping Takeru would get the message. Takeru smiled.

"It's okay Sora. We both know how my brother can be sometimes. I know he just wants me to be happy," Takeru said. Sora smiled at him.

"That's a relief. And don't forget dear brother-in-law," she said as she poked him in the nose, "I want you to be happy too. We both just don't like seeing you depressed. It doesn't suit you, you know?" Sora asked. Takeru could only chuckle in response.

"I know, I know. It's just that..can I tell you something?" Takeru asked. Sora looked at him in concern.

"Sure. What is it?" she asked in return.

"Sometimes, when I visit you and Yama, I sometimes wish…I sometimes wish that I could have what you have, you know? I wish I could have a loving wife and a beautiful kid," Takeru said, making Sora smile at his words. Sora clutched his cheek as she looked at him.

"Don't worry Takeru, you'll get there someday, trust me. But I think that for right now, you should go home and take care of yourself. You don't look too good," Sora said, now placing her hands on his hips.

"Yes _'Okasan'_," Takeru mumbled sarcastically. Sora just laughed at him in return.

"Very funny Takeru-kun. Seriously though, you should go home and rest. You look like you need it. And don't try to think too much about it, okay? I know how much you miss…" Sora trailed off as she looked away from the blond. A saddened expression came upon Takeru's face as he looked down upon the young woman.

"Hikari…" Takeru said. Just that one name would always move his heart. Sora then looked back up at him.

"Yes, Hikari." She then wrapped her arms around Takeru in a warm embrace. "I know how much you miss her. We all do. But, we've moved on with our lives. Is it about time you moved on with yours?.." Sora asked, loosening her hold on Takeru a bit so she could look him in the eye. Takeru tried his best not to make eye contact with the redhead. Slowly but surely, though, his eyes moved to meet hers. He sighed tiredly.

"I guess so…" The blond's eyebrows then furrowed as he looked upon his sister-in-law. "But Sora, how would you feel if you were in my situation?.." Takeru asked, glaring at the young woman. The question caught Sora off-guard as she widened her eyes in response.

"I…" Sora couldn't find anything to say, as she tried to put herself in Takeru's shoes. Takeru just smirked as he saw the look upon her face.

"I thought so." He then turned away from her, and began walking again. Sora tried to mutter something at the blond, but no words would come out. She then looked down at the concrete ground as her feet seemed more interesting at the moment.

"I'm sorry Takeru…"

* * *

Takeru sighed as he made his way back into his apartment. He took off his jacket and placed it on the coat rack, before noticing that his answering machine was glowing. He then walked over and pressed the "PLAY" button on his machine.

"You have one new message. Message playback…" the machine said.

"_Hi Takeru, it's Ken again. I was just hoping that you caught my message. If not, then here's another one that I hope you'll get. Please, just call us. We really miss talking to you. Bye." _The message then ended as a click sounded off after Ken finished his sentence.

"End of final message…" the machine said. Takeru sighed again.

"Why can't these people just leave me alone? I really don't feel like talking right now," Takeru said to himself, before taking a swig of his water. He then began conversing with himself in his mind.

_I really do need to get over her…maybe talking to Ken and Daisuke would help. Hell, it would probably get my mind off her at least. And I should spend more time with my friends. I'm becoming too anti-social, _Takeru thought as he stopped drinking the clear liquid, making a decision. He then walked over and took his phone off the answering machine, and cycled through the list of contacts until he came to Ken's number. He then pressed "Call," and the phone dialed the number. Takeru pressed the device closer to his ear as it began ringing. He then smiled as he heard someone pick theirs up on the other line.

"_Well well well, look who finally decided to call," _said a familiar voice on the over line. Takeru just smiled.

"Hello Miyako, long time no see. How have you and Ken been?" Takeru asked.

"_Well, I don't know if he told you or not, but I should be due soon. Ken's been wrapped up in police work recently…And well, I would be working for Koushiro right now if I didn't have another life growing inside of me_," Miyako answered. Takeru just laughed.

"Sounds like Ken all right. Is he home right now?" he asked.

"_Well, no- oh, he just got in. I'll put him on the line for you_," Miyako answered. "_Hey Ken, Takeru's on the phone!" _Takeru heard her exclaim. He could only laugh as he imagined the look upon Ken's face as he looked at his wife. He then heard the phone change hands before another voice began to speak.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Ken, it's me Takeru. I was calling in response to the messages you left me. Is everything all right?" Takeru asked.

"_Yeah Take, everything's going good. I've been caught in work lately. I just wanted to know how our favorite author was doing," _Ken replied on the other line. Takeru smiled.

"I'm fine. I've just been busy working on my next book," Takeru said.

"_Gotcha." _Ken paused for a moment before beginning to speak again. "_So, Daisuke and I were wondering if we could sometime get together and just hang out, like old times. Would you be interested in any way?" _Ken asked. Takeru sighed as he walked toward his calendar. It was empty for the rest of the week.

"Sure, I guess. I'm open for tomorrow," Takeru responded.

"_Great! Where do you want to meet?" _

"How about at Suji's Sushi Place? I've heard it's real good," Takeru suggested. He almost felt like he could see Ken smile on the other line.

"_Oh yeah, Suji's, how could I forget? Sure, that would be okay. Does one o'clock sound good for you?" _Ken asked. Takeru nodded.

"Yeah, sounds good."

"_Great! Then we'll see you there!" _Ken paused again. "_Well, it's been nice hearing your voice again Take, it's been too long," _Ken said.

"I know," Takeru said.

"_Well, I'd like to stay and chat, but I really have to go. I got a case to work on. See you tomorrow!" _Ken exclaimed on the other line.

"Okay, tomorrow at one. I'll be there," Takeru said.

"Ken exclaimed on the other line.

"Okay, tomorrow at one. I'll be there," Takeru said.

"_You better."_

"I will, don't worry about it."

"_Okay then. Later," _Ken said.

"Later." Takeru then turned his phone off as he placed it back on the receiver. He smiled at himself. "I feel a lot better now. I think I'm going to lie down," he said. He then left the kitchen and went into his bedroom. He then hopped onto his bed, and closed his eyes. And soon enough, the young man fell asleep, thinking about his past memories…

* * *

"Hey Take, you remember that time in high school when I broke the window in your science classroom?" Daisuke asked, as the three were enjoying some drinks at the bar. Takeru smirked as he took a swig of beer.

"How could I forget? I was the one who caught the soccer ball after all," Takeru answered.

"Yeah, and then you tried to play it off as if you didn't do anything," Ken said. The two men laughed as Daisuke just glared at them.

"_I_ _swear Uumaki-sensei, I didn't do anything! The ball had a mind of its own!_" Takeru exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

"Come on Ken, you saw! Help a brother out!" Ken followed. The two continued laughing, while Daisuke continued to glare at them.

"Screw you guys…" he muttered. Ken pat his best friend on the back.

"Oh come on Dai, you were the one who brought it up. We just wanted to remind you that we remembered," Ken said. Daisuke huffed.

"Yeah, well you two remember a little **too **well," he said. He then took a sip of his beer. Ken then turned to face Takeru.

"So Takeru, got any plans next week?" Ken asked. Takeru sighed.

"As a matter-of-fact, I do. Why?" Takeru asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, Dai and I were wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with us. You know, get away from life, the city…" Ken was suggesting.

"The women..the children…" Daisuke muttered. Ken rubbed his friend's back.

"Don't worry Dai, it'll be okay…"

"Yeah, like you know how I feel. Screw you Ken," Daisuke said.

"I don't think you'd actually want to do that Dai. Not unless you want to be considered gay," Ken stated. The two just chuckled. Ken then turned back to face Takeru. "Anyway, that's what we were going to do. But, since you can't come, that's all right. We'll be fine without you," Ken said. He then swallowed some of his drink.

"So Take, what are you doing next week?" Daisuke asked.

"Well…it has to deal with my publishing company. When I published the last volume of _Adventures in the Digital World,_ the company advertised a contest, aimed towards little kids, of course. Anyway, whenever a person bought a book, there was a code imprinted into the front cover when you opened the book. You could go online to the book website and type in the code, for a chance to win a week with me! What I basically do is go to the elementary school the winner goes to and reads certain parts of the book a day, until my time is up. And that's about the gist of it," Takeru said, drinking his beer. Ken and Daisuke continued to look at him.

"So who won the contest?" Ken asked, intrigued. Takeru smirked.

"A Green, Hikeru. He lives in New Orleans," Takeru replied. This caught Daisuke's attention.

"Man, I've always wanted to go to New Orleans!" Daisuke shouted. This caught everyone else's attention in the bar, and he chuckled nervously as he looked around. "Sorry," he said. Everyone then went back to their own business. "But still, I'd like to go," Daisuke said. He then emptied the last of his drink.

"Me too. I've only been to America once, and I'd like to go back if at all possible," Ken said. He then smirked. Takeru raised an eyebrow at the blue haired young man.

"What?" Takeru asked.

"Well..I just had an idea. How about me and Dai go along with you?" Ken asked, poking Daisuke in the side. Daisuke smirked.

"Yeah…What?!" Daisuke stammered. Takeru shook his head in disdain.

"I don't know you guys. I'm going for business, not for pleasure," Takeru said. Ken then wrapped an arm around Takeru's shoulder.

"But that's the thing Take. New Orleans is the City of Pleasure. Come on, it'll help you unwind a bit. After all, no one likes a tense writer," Ken said. He then turned to Daisuke, and the two turned to look at Takeru. Takeru's mouth hanged open as he saw the two give him a pleading look.

"Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top?" Daisuke asked.

"You two are acting like little kids," Takeru said.

"Oh come on! With noodles on top, please? Please?.." Daisuke asked. Takeru sighed as he looked away from the two of them.

"Fine, you can come."

"Awesome!" Daisuke exclaimed, as he and Ken high-fived each other. Takeru just shook his head.

"I can't believe you two. We're twenty-five, and still, you two act like children at times," Takeru said. Ken pat Takeru's back.

"I know, I know, but Takeru, that's part of what makes life enjoyable. So, where will you be staying?" Ken asked.

"At the Alexa Hotel. It sits in-between Royale and Bourbon Street. And I get my own limo," Takeru smirked. Daisuke whined.

"No fair!" the other two just laughed at the spiky-haired young man. "Well, we'll probably stay there too, if we're able to book rooms. When do you leave?" Daisuke asked.

"On Sunday. I'm supposed to head back here Friday night," Takeru said.

"Then we'll make sure to book the same arrival and departure dates," Ken said, smiling. Takeru smiled in return.

"Good." Takeru then looked at his watch. "Well, it's been nice seeing you guys, but I think I should head out," Takeru said, as he stood up. Ken and Daisuke stood up along with him.

"Yeah, we should too. I need to go back to handling my cases," Ken said. Takeru then turned to look at Daisuke.

"And what about you Dai?" Takeru asked.

"I gotta head home and check on how Shiru's doing, now that I'm a dad and all," Daisuke said. Takeru smiled as the other two shook hands with him.

"I'll e-mail you guys about the flight and lodging specifics. Make sure to leave on Sunday, if you can," Takeru said. Ken nodded.

"We will, don't worry about that. Right Dai?" Ken asked.

"Right Ken. Don't worry Takeru, we're not as forgetful as we used to be," Daisuke said. Takeru chuckled.

"Let's hope not," Takeru deadpanned. He then quickly glanced at his watch. "Well anyways, it's been nice seeing you guys. Later!" Takeru exclaimed. Daisuke and Ken smiled at him.

"Later!" Takeru then left the bar, leaving Ken and Daisuke to themselves.

"Man, I can't wait 'till next week. This is gonna rock!" Daisuke explained. Ken smiled.

"Yeah, I know. But Dai.."

"What?"

"How are we going to explain this to the wives?.."

* * *

"Flight one-fifty eight to New Orleans now boarding," the intercom replied. "Flight one-fifty eight to New Orleans is now boarding. Arigato." Takeru sighed with apprehension as he got up from his seat with his luggage.

"Here we go…" He then walked up to the flight attendant, showing her his boarding pass, before being allowed to go through the terminal and onto the plane. Since Takeru was a famous novelist, he got to go first class, and he enjoyed it.

"I guess there are some benefits to being famous after all," Takeru said to himself as he found his seat, before storing his luggage away in the overhead storage bin. He then sat down, and waited until the other passengers boarded. A few moments later, the plane roared to life as it began moving away from the terminal and onto the runway. And then, the plane ascended into the sky. Takeru looked out the window as the night clouds passed by, and smiled before he turned to look at the seat ahead of him.

_New Orleans, here I come…_

* * *

So Takeru isn't going to New Orleans alone! What will happen once he gets there? And what do Daisuke and Ken have planned in store for our blond protagonist? These questions will be answered in the next chapter of **Derailed**!

I hope you liked that chapter. As for the next one, I hope I get it out on time. I'm having trouble writing it right now, but I have written _some _of it. I'll try to get it finished and published on time, hopefully within the next two weeks as scheduled.

Well, until the next one, ja ne!- Malcolm Yuy


	4. Memories and Hallucinations

A.N. And hello again loyal fans and readers! Welcome to the third chapter of this fic! As always, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I'm sorry if the last chapter wasn't as long as you would have hoped, and that maybe we didn't get to see too much of Takeru's inner thoughts, but, that chapter focused more upon the tension of our protagonist's relationships based on that tragic event. However, in this chapter we'll learn more about what happened between Takeru…and a character who hasn't been mentioned since the first chapter. You should know who I'm talkin' 'bout..Anyway, onto the fic!

_1/08/07- Edited for consistency and errors._

Synopsis: During the last chapter, we saw Takeru as he was recovering from the previous night. After taking note of all of his messages, he went to visit his brother, Yamato, and his sister-in-law, Sora. Of course, things weren't perfect between the "Ishida" brothers, as Yamato said something insensitive to Takeru, and he left the apartment. Fortunately, Sora went to patch things up between the two, but things were only became more complicated as Takeru locked himself out even further.

Even though Sora wasn't able to make Takeru feel better, Daisuke and Ken fortunately were able to. Not only that, but the two are now joining Takeru on his trip to New Orleans for his publishing contest? What will happen while the three are there? One could only imagine the possibilities!

And now to present the third chapter..allons-y!

* * *

"**Derailed"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

_Chapter 03: Memories and Hallucinations_

Takeru sighed tiredly as he finally collapsed onto his mattress, smiling at finally getting a chance to rest. After going through security checks and baggage claims, he finally found a shuttle to take him to the Alexa Hotel, a very nice hotel that resided in the French Quarter, only about eleven minutes away from where the winner of his contest attended school. The Alexa had nice, furnished, though small rooms, with air conditioning funneling through the air vents in the ceiling, creating a very pleasing sensation for the young man as he began shutting his eyes for some shut-eye.

Takeru then slowly opened his eyes as he looked towards the window of his room.

_You know what? Maybe I shouldn't go to sleep just yet, _he thought, as he slowly changed from a curling position to a sitting position on his bed. He then yawned as he stretched his limbs.

_Maybe I should go see what this city has to offer, _Takeru thought to himself as he slowly got up to walk towards the window. He then walked to the windowsill, and looked outside to get a nice view of Bourbon Street, although it was still daylight. He saw a few people here and there as they walked back and forth along the long walkway. He also noticed how dirty the city was. But, it was an urban area, and what else would he expect? He smiled as he looked down upon them.

_Time to get out of this room, _Takeru thought, a small smile forming upon his lips as he left the room. A few minutes later, after accessing the elevator, the young blonde made his way onto Royale Street.

_Or maybe I should check out Royale Street first. _Takeru placed his hands in his pockets as he began walking down the sidewalk, taking a glimpse of the local shops as he was passing by. A few of the shops that he looked at caught his eye. Takeru then turned his eyes to glance at the townspeople who were walking by him. He spotted the various genetics that the local population had. Tall stature, short stature. Broad shoulders, narrow shoulders. Blonde, brunette, redhead, darkhead. Brown eyes, green eyes, dark eyes. Young adolescent, young adult, middle-aged. White, black, Asian, Hispanic, and just foreign in general were some of the individuals that Takeru passed as he made his way on down the sidewalk. New Orleans wasn't just a different kind of city- it was a diverse one, a melting pot. Takeru smiled as he made his way towards the end of the street.

_Louis Armstrong Park. _Louis Armstrong Park was a park located at one end of Royale and Bourbon Street. The park had nice, huge grounds, surrounded by a long, narrow, black fence. And in the entryway, the name _Armstrong _was printed in bold, golden letters upon the archway above. Takeru smiled as he made his way inside. _Maybe being here won't be so bad after all. _Takeru saw a bench in the area, and made his way to it. He sighed when he sat down.

_Well, walking down Royale Street was fascinating, but I think it's time to take a little break. _Takeru closed his eyes as he breathed in the city air around him, before exhaling it as he opened his blue orbs. He took the time to look at the ongoing scenes that were being formed around him. Couples walking by, pigeons scrambling to get food here and there, Takeru could only smile to himself as he watched the acts play themselves out.

_This has been a peaceful day so far, _Takeru thought, as he sighed to himself. As he continued to look at the passerby, he noticed a couple smiling at one another as they were buying ice cream from a nearby vendor. Regarding them made Takeru think about his one and only. And along with that name, came memories of years past the young man had tried desperately to forget..

_A fifteen year old Takeru frowned upon the sky as he stood outside the local high school with umbrella in hand, still wearing the school uniform, as well as his signature bucket hat. Rain poured down slowly, and at least Takeru had to thank Kami (God) for that. He turned to look at the school doors._

_Come on Takeru, just a few more minutes… Takeru thought to himself as he turned back to look upon the grey sky. He then frowned as he felt a cool breeze make its way through him._

_Damn weather…Why did I decide to do this again? Takeru asked himself, as he suddenly took interest in his feet. He then looked up as he heard the door open. And there, standing there, in all her beauty, was his girlfriend of three years, Yagami Hikari. _

_Oh yeah, that's why… Takeru was still mesmerized by the brunette's beauty, even after all the time he has dated her. She smiled as she made her way up to him. _

"_What are you doing outside? Shouldn't you be at home?" she asked, as she gazed into her lover's blue eyes. Takeru could only blush as he gazed down at her. He then scoffed as he continued watching her._

"_Yes, yes I should. But, aren't you at least going to thank me for risking life and limb just so I could see you?" Takeru asked, glaring at the girl. Hikari looked up as she pretended to contemplate the issue. She then smirked as she glanced into his eyes._

"_How about 'no'?" Hikari asked playfully. Takeru faked a pout._

"_How about 'yes'?.." After a moment of silence, Takeru's girlfriend spoke again._

"_No," she simply stated. Takeru scoffed._

"_Fine, then I'll just leave you here to be drenched. Nice knowing you," Takeru said, as he turned around. He was then about to begin walking, but he heard the brunette's voice as she caught up to him._

"_Kibou, wait! I was just kidding!" Hikari puffed as she latched onto her boyfriend's frame from his back and Takeru was shocked for a moment, as he felt the girl encase her arms around his waist. He stopped walking as a faint blush came upon his cheeks. He turned back to look at her, and smiled as he looked down upon her._

"_I know. But honestly Aura, you can be so cruel sometimes," Takeru said._

"_I know. But I make up for it, don't I?" Hikari asked, smiling up at him. The blonde could only return her smile._

"_Sure do." They both then leaned towards each other, and caught the other's lips in a brief but passionate kiss. They then parted as they joined hands, and began walking together in the rain._

"_You know, the rain isn't so bad, now that I think about it," Hikari said, as the two were both shielded under the umbrella. Takeru could only smirk as he formulated a response to the girl's comment._

"_Then do you want me to push you back into it? I'd be more than happy to oblige," Takeru suggested as a laugh came from his lips. Hikari could only retaliate by socking Takeru in his arm. _

"_You're mean," Hikari simply said as she glared at him. Takeru only returned her glare._

"_Only 'cause you were mean first," Takeru said._

"_Uh uh," Hikari said, smiling._

"_Uh huh," Takeru responded._

"_Uh uh."_

"_Uh huh."_

"_Uh uh."_

"_Uh huh."_

"_Uh uh."_

"_Uh huh- can't we just stop this? We're acting like little kids," Takeru said. Hikari giggled._

"_Fine." The two then stopped talking as the rain suddenly stopped, and the clouds began to part, allowing the sun's rays to shine through. Takeru retracted his umbrella as he shook the water droplets off. Hikari turned to face him while he was doing this._

"_You know what I meant to say earlier?" Hikari asked. Takeru continued to shake his umbrella as he took his eyes off of it so he could pay attention to what his love had to say._

"_What?" Takeru was then mentally paralyzed as he was caught by Hikari's gaze._

"_I was going to say 'You know, the rain isn't so bad when I'm with you'…" Hikari averted her gaze as she looked down at her feet. Takeru blushed as he continued to looking at the girl that he was proud to call "girlfriend". _

"_R-really?" Even though the two had been dating for quite a time, Takeru was still spellbound whenever Hikari would say something sweet to him. Her eyes turned to look up at him._

"_Really…" Hikari then leaned forward to catch Takeru's lips in another kiss. Takeru could only smile as he closed his eyes and returned it. After a few minutes, the two parted. Takeru smiled as they started walking again, feeling her hand linked to his. He then turned to look at her._

"_Hey Hikari, do you want to go out? My treat," Takeru said, waving around some yen that he had picked from his pocket. Hikari looked bewildered as she looked at her boyfriend._

"_Really?"_

"_Really…" and the two smiled together, happy that they were together…_

_Damn, even here…even here I can't seem to forget her. Hikari… _Takeru thought to himself, grimacing as he came back to reality. He sighed as he looked back up at the sky.

_I wonder Ken and Daisuke are doing…_

* * *

"Damn, am I finally glad that we're off that plane," Daisuke said as he Ken made their way from the terminal. They were currently making their way towards Baggage Claim, and Ken could only sigh in agreement as he looked at his companion.

"You said it. I didn't know whether that kid beside was ever going to shut up or not," Ken replied, deciding to suddenly message his temples. Daisuke just chuckled.

"I know. Kami, he was so loud! I thought he was going to cause all of the windows in the plane to explode with as much crying as he did," Daisuke said.

"I'm just happy his dad finally knocked some sense into him. Kids need discipline these days. I hope my kid isn't like that," Ken said.

"Hopefully, they won't be. I'm lucky. I have the best kid in the world…well, at least for right now anyway. The wife and I are still waiting to see how that will pan out," Daisuke said. This caused Ken to chuckle as they finally made their way into Baggage Claim, and walked over towards the conveyor belt.

"I wonder how Take is doing. Think I should call him?" Ken asked.

"I'll hit you if you don't!" Daisuke exclaimed, as he smirked at the blue-haired young man. Ken just smirked in return as he took out his cell phone.

"I hope you won't hold me up to that," Ken said as he took out a card that had the blonde's current number on it. He then registered Takeru's number under "Contacts", before pressing his name for auto dial.

"You know I just might," Daisuke said, as he turned his attention from his friend and onto the luggage that was making its way around the conveyor belt. "Found mine." Daisuke smiled as he grabbed his travel bag.

"Good for you." Ken then listened as the phone began ringing. He sighed irritably after it rang two times. "Come on Takeru, pick up," Ken said to himself. After the third ring, he was beginning to get impatient. And finally, the fourth ring came. Ken frowned as the phone's answering machine came on.

"_You have reached the voicemail for 'Takaishi, Takeru'. Please leave a message after the beep." _Ken sighed when he heard Takeru pronounce his own name monotonously. The beep then followed. "Takeru, this is Ken. Dai and I called to just inform you that we have arrived in New Orleans. We'll be staying at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Bourbon, so that's where we'll be if you need to reach us. Sayonara," Ken said, as he hung up his phone, and then placed it back into his pocket. Daisuke looked concerned as he handed Ken his luggage.

"Didn't answer?" Ken just shook his head. "Well then, we'll hopefully be able to talk to him later. Right now let's just try to get to the hotel," Daisuke said. Ken nodded.

"Okay." The two then made their way towards the outside. As they stepped outside of the airport, Ken looked up into the blue sky.

_I just hope we'll be able to talk to him..if we find him…_

* * *

Takeru sighed as he walking on the streets, hands in his pockets. He heard his stomach grumble as he continued making his way on the concrete path. He winced at the sounds his stomach was making.

_Man, I'm so hungry right now. _Takeru smiled as he realized that he had stumbled upon a nearby café. He looked up at the display sign.

"_Café Beignet. _Hmm, sounds interesting enough," Takeru said to himself as he walked into the petite restaurant. A server at the cashier smiled as the blonde made his way toward the display case, which revealed certain delicacies of both New Orleans and of its French origins. It was times like these that Takeru thanked Kami for being part-French.

"Why, hello monsieur, and welcome to Café Beignet. What would you like to have?" the server asked. Takeru looked to his right at the display case, eyeing the creamy deserts that the café had to offer. After contemplating what would be best for his stomach, Takeru turned to look back at the server.

"Um, I would like to have a beignet, and an Orangina, if you have it, please," Takeru said, taking his wallet out of his pocket and holding it in his hands. The server smiled as he took a beignet, a French doughnut out of the display case, along with an Orangina, a French orange-lemon drink from the fridge.

"That'll be five ninety-five sir," the server said, after entering the items into the machine. Takeru pulled out six dollars, and handed it to the man. He smiled as he took it and returned the change. "Five cents is your change. Enjoy," the server said. Takeru nodded.

"I will." Takeru then smiled as he walked off to a nearby table, which had a window. Takeru sat down and looked at what he purchased.

_So much for saying you're hungry. You just wanted something sweet, _Takeru thought to himself, a smirk forming upon his face. The blonde then proceeded to eat the beignet, and licked his lips to get the remaining sugar off. The beignet, unlike the American doughnut, was a rectangular, fried pastry made from flour and covered in sugar. The Orangina, on the other hand, was in a pear-shaped bottle, and the color of the beverage even vaguely resembled that of a pear. Takeru smiled as he took a bite of the beignet.

_Damn, this thing is sweet. I feel like I'm going to get a heart attack from eating this thing, _Takeru thought as he examined the little pastry. _Oh well, it's good, and I paid for it, so I might as well eat it. _Takeru took a few more bites of the beignet before placing it on top of the white bag that had come along with it. He then wiped his mouth off with a napkin, before opening his Orangina and taking a swig of it.

_Mmm, that tastes good. _Takeru smiled as he felt the nice, cold taste of the Orangina touch his lips. He then placed the drink back down as he then turned his attention towards the window he was sitting at. As he was looking outside, he couldn't help but notice a couple talking to each other nearby, and they seemed to be in a dispute. Takeru frowned as he watched this.

_I wonder what happened between those two. I hope that despite whatever happened they'll be able to solve their differences. People just don't know how lucky it is these days to have someone to love, _The blonde mused to himself as the expression in his azure orbs became melancholy. It was times like these that the young man wished he had someone to love, someone to care for. But there would only be one person he would care for. And unfortunately, for his family and friends, it was someone they considered to be what the French would like, or not like in his case, to call "_mort", _or in other words…_dead_.

_Takeru couldn't believe that he was actually standing here, looking at a empty plot of land, dressed in a black suit, his shaggy blonde locks combed over just for the occasion. He looked down sullenly at the unearthed lot, as a grim smile came upon his face. He then looked back up at the Yagami family as they were standing near the gravestone, across from him. Standing next to him were Sora and Yamato, followed by his parents. All of the other Chosen Children were here as well, along with their parents. Even the digimon had come to pay their respects to the "deceased" Destined of Light. _

_Takeru couldn't help but frown as he looked away from the scene, his blue orbs looking up toward the bleak sky in depression. He knew why he was here, but, unlike the Yagami family, he still believed..he still believed that Hikari was still alive, out there in the world. However, he could only wish that the others held the same hope that he had, for during the past three years, they had lost hope, and therefore, thought it was time to put her memory to rest. _

_The Destined of Hope sighed sullenly as he looked at the priest, reciting the funeral hymn. He felt Sora and Yamato's hands give an affectionate squeeze upon his shoulders, and gave the two a small smile as he looked upon them. They gave a small smile back as he turned to look down at Patamon and Tailmon, who were both looked very sullen at the situation. Takeru then looked at Hikari's family again, a sad expression upon his face. He saw Mrs. Yagami crying on Mr. Yagami's shoulders, as Mr. Yagami tried to comfort his wife the best he could. And off to the left of them, with Agumon by his side, was Hikari's onii-chan, and the leader of the Chosen Children._

_Yagami Taichi. During the past three years, Taichi's features had matured with age. Now twenty-four, the young man's once spiky brown hair was now cut, and mostly tamed, with most of it combed over except for his bangs, which were spiked, swaying towards the right side from Takeru's view. Taichi's once clean-cut face now held that of a stubble, and his eyes..the eyes that he had inherited from his father's, were dull of life, empty, and full of pain. It broke Takeru just standing there, examining his peer's features. This man was like a second brother to him, and now…he seemed only a shell of what he once was._

_After the priest ended his piece of the procession, others began giving Hikari's gravestone words of remorse, words of love and care. As much as Takeru wanted to listen to it, those words fell upon deaf ears as he looked around to once again examine the dreadful scenery around him. The sky was grey, filled with dark clouds, and the surrounding leaves held dead brown leaves, as Autumn signified the slow "death" of the world Takeru lived in. From out of nowhere, a breeze made its way through the dark trees, raking the leaves, as they traveled through the air, swirling around in spirals until they circled around Hikari's grave. And as Takeru read the epitaph written on her grave, he just couldn't take it anymore. _

_This is just wrong. So very wrong, he thought, as he shook his head. But as he continued examining the people around him, a thought came to him._

_But, just like these people, these people I call my family and friends..should I follow them, and believe what they want to believe? Takeru was shaken out of his thoughts as his father touched his shoulder._

"_Hey __**musuko **__(son), the ceremony's over," Hiroaki replied. Takeru nodded as he gazed into his father's face._

"_I know __**Otosan **__(father)," Takeru monotonously replied. A sad expression came upon Hiroaki's face as he looked at his youngest son._

"_Well, your __**okasan**__ (mother) and I are going to give our grievances to the Yagami's. Do you think you'll be okay here?" Hiroaki asked. Takeru nodded._

"_Yeah Otosan, I think I'll be okay." Hiroaki gave his son a grim smile._

"_Okay." He then stepped back as his ex-wife embraced their son. _

"_Are you okay? Will you be all right?" she asked, as wrinkles of concern appeared on her face. Takeru nodded._

"_Yes Okasan, I'll be okay. I just need some time. Alone," Takeru said. Natsuko nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes._

"_All right. Well Takeru, if you need any help, just know that both your otosan and I will be there to support you," Natsuko said. Takeru nodded, as he hugged his mother._

"_Thanks Okasan, I'll remember that…" Natsuko then left her youngest son's embrace, and gave her son one last grim smile. "Well, we'll be going now. Make sure to call us soon," Natsuko said. Takeru nodded._

"_I will." And with that said, his mother and father left, leaving him with just Yamato and Sora, along with their digimon, Gabumon and Biyomon. He then turned to look at them. "Are you guys okay?" he asked. The two nodded as Yamato help dried Sora's tears, as she had cried into his shoulder during the whole thing. After all, Hikari was like a little sister to her, and to Yamato as well. It was times like these that Takeru would like to think the "what ifs", however…_

_To Takeru, Hikari was still alive._

"_Well, we're also going to go see the Yagamis. We already talked with Tai earlier about it," Yamato said. Takeru nodded._

"_And how did he take this?.."_

"_Like you'd expect. I could only imagine how he must feel," Sora answered, sniffling as she wiped away the last of her tears. "Come on Yama, let's go comfort the Yagamis. They look like they need all the love and support they can get right now," Sora said, as she tugged on Yamato's dark jacket. Yamato nodded. They both then turned to look at the younger blonde._

"_Will you be okay, __**Ototo-chan **__(younger brother)?" Yamato asked, examining his brethren's features. From Takeru's perspective, he probably didn't look too great, as Yamato quirked an eyebrow at him. A grim smile came upon the young man's face._

"_Please don't look at me like that Onii-chan. I'll be okay you two. Now, will you please go? I would like to spend some time alone, if you please," Takeru said, his voice dropping to a cold tone as he reached the end of his sentence. The two were shocked as they regarded him. Their looks melted soon enough as they nodded._

"_Okay, if, if that's what you wish. Let's go Sora," Yamato said, as he began to move away from his younger brother. Sora was still glued to her spot, as she looked at Takeru. His eyes looked empty as she gazed into them, and her eyes couldn't leave his stare until Yamato tugged at her arm._

"_Come on Sora." Yamato said, as he looked at the two. Sora sighed tiredly as she finally tore her gaze away from Takeru, and towards the dead grass that was lying below their feet. _

"_Alright Yama." She then gave one last look of concern to Takeru, and Takeru returned her gaze with a sad smile, before the two finally left him, along with their digimon, all to himself. Takeru placed his hands in his black overcoat pockets as he looked towards the grave. He sighed depressingly as he gazed at it. He felt his eyes water as he began reading the epitaph:_

"_-Light of our lives,_

_A wonderful daughter, beloved sister, cherished lover,_

_We hope you continue to shine into the next life.-"_

_Yagami Hikari:_

_D.O.B.: April Fifteenth, Nineteen Ninety-One._

_D.O.D.: September Twenty-Seventh, Two-Thousand and Twelve._

"_You know Takeru, she probably would have wanted this," a voice said, snapping Takeru out of his reverie. The blonde turned to look at the taller stature of his "deceased" lover's older brother. Takeru frowned upon looking at the older man._

"_And how would you know that, Taichi? You know as well as I do that-"_

"_You don't know a damn thing about anything, Takeru…You don't know a fucking thing." Taichi then turned his head as he read the words on his sister's grave. Takeru could only gaze into Taichi's eyes as he was examining the grave. His eyes seemed filled with despair, and something else Takeru couldn't possibly make out. Takeru shook his head as he looked away from the brunette. Lightening flashed above them as thunder followed, as Takeru regarded his "other brother."_

"_You know Taichi, I can't believe how you can go on saying that, when you know damn well how I felt about her. And until I hear confirmation of her body being found dead in an alley somewhere, I will keep on believing that she's still alive. I promise you that," Takeru replied, as he glared at the male Yagami. Taichi scoffed as he turned his gaze onto the young blonde._

"_Well, to each his own then." Taichi then turned his back on Takeru as he began walking away from the young man. He then abruptly stopped, and turned his head to look back at Takeru from the side of his face, his mouth covered by the collar of his black formal jacket. Takeru could only look at his peer in shock as he began talking to him again._

"_But, according to me..Hikari is as dead as this cemetery." Takeru's eyes widened at the statement. "I'll be seeing you, Takeru." And with his final words, rain began pouring down upon the two as they regarded each other one last time, before Taichi left Takeru, having him look at the elder's back. A frown came upon Takeru's face as thunder boomed again above him. He looked up briefly at the sky, before turning his eyes back towards her grave. _

_I promise Hikari, that until you are presumed dead, I will consider you as being alive. I promise…_

Takeru shook his head as he came out of that memory. It was that memory that caused the others to move on, and him to look back into the past. But he frowned as he again regarded his current situation. He told himself that he would try to move on, to forget about memories past. But still, he couldn't help but think of her. After all, almost every thought that the young man had included her in it, somewhere within his conscious. He sighed to himself as he took another sip of his Orangina.

_It's about time I move on. After all, it's been seven years, and everyone else has moved on. But, why can't I? _A grim smile came upon Takeru's face as he finished drinking his beverage.

_Because I still love her. That's why, _Takeru answered. He then ate the last of his beignet, and wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. He then got up, and smiled towards the cashier as he began leaving the store.

"Have a good day," Takeru said, as he flashed a smile towards the cashier. The cashier smiled in return.

"Thanks. You too," the cashier said. Takeru nodded as he threw his garbage into the nearby trash can. He then patted his hands, and was about to make his way out the door when his right side bumped into the left side of another.

"Oh, sorry. Excuse me," Takeru said, as he walked past the person he bumped into, without giving them another look. A voice spoke as Takeru left the store.

"It's all right." Takeru turned as he looked back at the source of the voice, as the source made his way toward the cashier, and began making his order. Takeru's eyes widened as he regarded the person.

_It can't be..it just can't be…_

But it was..

..It was none other than Yagami Taichi…

* * *

"You know, this place is nice," Daisuke commented, after locking up his room. Ken nodded as the two began making their way towards the elevator.

"Yeah, it is. I just wish we could reach Takeru already. It's a good thing that I took a city map from the display in the lobby," Ken said, as he had flashed the pamphlet to Daisuke's face. Daisuke's eyes narrowed as he examined the brochure.

"So, what do you think we should do? You have the map, and some other brochures, as I can see," Daisuke said, noticing other brochures in Ken's grasp, hidden under the map. Ken grinned as they got inside the elevator.

"Well, we could follow this pamphlet and hit all the major hotspots," Ken suggested. Daisuke nodded in agreement. He then put his hand on his stomach as he heard it growl.

"Well, could we go get something to eat first? I'm famished," Daisuke said. Ken smiled.

"Sure thing. Just let me consult the-" the rest of Ken's sentence was cutoff as his the tone of his cell phone became dominating. Ken took the phone from his pocket and pressed the "TALK" button.

"I see you finally called," Ken said, as he turned to look at his friend. "It's Takeru," Ken whispered, before turning his attention back on the conversation at hand. "So, what's up?..Yeah, we're at the hotel. Uh, you want us to meet you where?" Ken asked, not hearing the blonde clearly on the other line. "Pat O'Brien's? On St. Peters Street? Okay, we'll be there. See you in a few, bye." Ken closed his phone as he put it back in his pocket.

"So? How is he?" Daisuke asked.

"Well, as you just saw, we didn't talk much, but, from what I could gather, Take sounded…what's the word, urgent? He sounded like he had something to tell us," Ken said.

"Then what are waiting for?!.." Daisuke asked.

"The elevator to open?.." Ken questioned.

"Oh, right.." the elevator then opened as the two walked out into the lobby. "Well then, let's go!"

* * *

"This is some swanky place you picked Takaishi," Daisuke said as the three young men made their way into the bar, and situated themselves at a table. Takeru smirked at his dark-haired comrade.

"So you've noticed," Takeru said. Daisuke nodded as he took a look around. Pat O'Brien's was a very dark place, with dim lighting and with even darker tables. A waiter came up to them as they noticed their surroundings.

"Good evening you guys, and welcome to Pat O'Brien's," the waiter said, as he handed out three menus to the guys. The guys smiled as they received the menus. "My name is John, and I'll be your server this evening. Would you guys like to start off with a drink?" John asked. Ken nodded.

"Yes, yes I would John. I'd like to have a Heineken please," Ken said. John nodded.

"Okay." He wrote the beverage name down on a notepad as he turned to face Daisuke. "And what will you be having?"

"Um, I'll just have a Budweiser, thanks," Daisuke said.

"Alrighty." John then turned to face Takeru. "And what would you like sir?" John asked. Takeru looked at the beverage menu for a moment before answering.

"I think I'll just have a water thank you," Takeru said.

"Alright. Well, I'll be in back in a few minutes with your drinks gentlemen." And with that, John left the three men by themselves. They took a look their menus. As Ken was glancing at his, he directed his eyes so they could gaze into Takeru's. Takeru noticed this as he turned to look up from his menu.

"So Takeru, why did you sound so urgent when you called me? What was so pressing that you had to get us here, huh?" Ken asked, as he regarded the blonde. Takeru's eyes blinked for a moment.

"Oh, that? It, it was nothing," Takeru stuttered, as he suddenly turned his attention back onto his menu. Ken and Daisuke both quirked their eyebrows as they gave each other a quizzical look, before moving their heads to regard their friend.

"You sure bud? 'Cause I think I just heard you stutter," Daisuke said, smirking. As Daisuke finished his sentence, John made his way back onto the scene, placing the corresponding beverages onto the table.

"There you are fellas. One Heineken, one Budweiser, and one glass of 'high-quality h-two-o' as quoted from Adam Sandler," John said, smiling. "Are you three ready to order?" he asked.

"Yep. Uh, I'll have the Red Beans and Rice," Daisuke said.

"Okay. And you sir?" John asked, turning to see Ken as he wrote Daisuke's order down.

"I'll have the Jambalaya," Ken replied. John smirked.

"Good choice, good choice. And what about you?" John asked, turning to Takeru lastly. Takeru sighed as he began to speak.

"Uh, I'll have the Gumbo of the Day. Or, should I say 'Night'?" Takeru asked.

"'Night' sounds good to me." John then took their menus. "Thanks for ordering gentlemen, and I'll be back with your orders in a few. Enjoy your drinks 'till then," John said. The three smiled.

"Oh don't worry John, we will," Daisuke grinned. John then nodded as he left, and Daisuke's grin disappeared as he turned to look back at his blonde companion. "So Take, what's wrong?" Daisuke asked. Takeru glared at his tan friend.

"Nothing's wrong Dai, I swear," Takeru said.

"Then why do you seem so…offended?" Daisuke asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. Takeru sighed as he closed his eyes.

"For the last time Dai, it's nothing. Nothing at all," Takeru said.

"Nothing my ass," Ken commented. Takeru sighed tiredly.

"You two won't stop nagging me until I tell you, won't you?" Takeru asked. The two nodded. "Fine. I'll tell you," he said. The other two men smiled as the young blonde as he sighed tiredly. "I think..I may have seen…someone…" Takeru said slowly. This made Ken and Daisuke quirk an eyebrow as they pondered Takeru's statement. Then, Ken decided that he would speak.

"Who?.." Ken asked. Takeru frowned as he closed his eyes.

"..Yagami Taichi," he slowly replied. Daisuke and Ken looked at each other in astonishment before looking back to their friend. Takeru smirked sullenly as he examined the two. "I know, I don't understand it myself," Takeru said.

_Because what would Taichi be doing here in New Orleans?..._

"Are you sure you saw Tai here? This is Taichi we're talking about, right?" Daisuke asked, still not believing what his fellow peer had said. Takeru shook his head.

"I know, I don't understand it either. He really didn't say anything to me. I wonder if he recognized me at all," Takeru said. The three continued pondering the situation for a few moments, before Ken suddenly had an epiphany.

"Hey Takeru, I'm just speculating, but what if- what if you only _thought _you saw Taichi?" Ken asked. Takeru's eyes became frustrated as they stared back at dark, violet-blue eyes.

"What are you saying, Ken? Are you speculating that maybe _I _imagined him?.." Takeru asked in return. Ken just returned Takeru's gaze as he crossed his arms.

"Maybe. Maybe you were just seeing a hallucination. After all Takeru, you do think about your involvement with the Yagami family often, do you not?" Ken asked. Takeru's gaze softened as a frown came upon his face.

"Well, maybe I do," Takeru answered.

"And that's why we're here with you, to help you _get over _that. I really don't want to say this Take, but I feel I have to get this off my chest," Ken said quickly. He then sighed as he bawled up his left hand, placing it near his chest. "You need to get over Hikari, Takeru. Don't think I can't see what it's doing to you, 'cause I can. I know you loved her, and hell, we all did. She was like family to all of us, right Daisuke?" Ken asked.

"Right," Daisuke said in concurrence. Ken then continued where he left off.

"But something's gotta give Take. It's been seven years. Don't you think it's about time to move on?" Ken asked. Takeru felt paralyzed. He could find no way to plausibly argue against Ken's statement. He understood where Ken was coming from. He was only looking out for him. And wasn't it about time that Takeru stopped living in the past? Takeru silently nodded to himself as he contemplated the issue within his mind.

_Maybe it is about time I move on..after all, it has been seven years. Wouldn't Hikari want me to be happy?.. _Takeru asked himself. He then sighed as he decided to answer Ken's question.

"Maybe you're right Ken. Maybe..it just may be about time that I move on with my life. After all, I have you two to help me, right?" Takeru asked, smirking at his question. Ken and Daisuke smiled as they nodded in agreement.

"And not only do you have us Take, but you also have your other friends and family. You can't ever forget that," Ken said. Takeru nodded. After all, Ken was right. Takeru _did _have friends and family. They were always there. It was about time he noticed that.

"So, let's usher in this new phase in our buddy's life, eh? To Takeru, to hope that you have a happy and prosperous life from here on in," Daisuke chimed, raising his glass of Budweiser in the air. Takeru and Ken smiled as they raised their glasses to meet Daisuke's.

"Here here!"

* * *

The night rolled on as Takeru, Ken and Daisuke made their way down Bourbon Street, the road bustling with crowds of people. Unlike Royal Street, Bourbon Street was the opposite of its counterpart. Where it was classy and suave on Royal, Takeru couldn't say the same for Bourbon. The streets were littered with various strip joints and daiquiri bars. And of course, to celebrate the spirit of New Orleans, the three had stopped and sampled the daiquiris of the city. As the night dredged along, the three had become varyingly inebriated, Ken and Daisuke being more so than Takeru. Takeru smiled as he looked at his two friends.

_I'm glad I..brought these two…here to New Orleans, _Takeru thought, trying to stay composed, even though the alcohol had clearly taken its toll on the young man. Takeru chuckled as he looked at his companions. He could probably say the same about them. Currently, Daisuke and Ken had their arms around each other, as they were now vaguely recounting their earlier days. And Daisuke had just included Takeru in remembering the more fond memories of their life.

"Hey Take, remember…remember that time I…pulled that prank on Miyako? Remember that?" Daisuke asked drunkenly. Takeru smirked as he looked to his dark-haired companion.

"Sure do…I remember you…coating the floor of the convenience store with liquid soap so…when her and family stepped inside, they would play 'slippity-slide, slippity-slide,'" Takeru said.

"Oh yeah. Wasn't that awesome?.." Daisuke asked, as the two continued walking, the neon lights glowing on them. Ken laughed as they stopped for a moment.

"No…I remember…remember her bitching to me about that afterward…that was really lame Dai," Ken muffled.

"Yeah, for you maybe…but it was awesome…for me…" Daisuke muttered. The three were about to continue walking when they glanced up at a neon sign overhead. In big, read letters, it said _"Rick's Cabaret." _Ken and Daisuke drunkenly smiled as they examined it.

"Hey Dai, you thinkin'..what I'm thinkin'?" Ken asked. Daisuke smirked at his best friend.

"You know it," he said. He then turned his head to look at Takeru. "Hey Take, what do you think?.." Daisuke asked. Seeing that sign was making Takeru more sober by the minute. He didn't really know how to respond.

"I uh, I don't know…you guys," he responded, stuttering over his own words. He really didn't feel like going inside. Daisuke decided that it was his turn to convince the young blonde.

"Oh, come on man…stop being such a pussy," Daisuke said. "Aren't you going to have fun..for once in your life?.." Daisuke asked. Takeru shook his head.

"I thought we…were having fun right now," Takeru replied. Daisuke shook his head.

"Nah man, we…we aren't havin' fun…We're just…we're just..enjoying the surroundings," the brunette said in a stupor.

"Yeah man, why can't you..just enjoy…life for once, huh?" Ken asked. Takeru sighed as he gave in to his peers.

"Fine, fine…but we're not gonna drink…anymore tonight, got it?" Takeru asked. The two nodded at him as a smile came upon their faces.

"Yep," Daisuke said.

"Clear as day…or night," Ken said. Takeru smiled.

"Okay. Let's go then," he said. Daisuke hoorayed as the three made their way inside…

* * *

Inside, Rick's Cabaret was dark, with red lights illuminating the dance tables. Men sat at these tables, cheering like animals and flashing money in the air. Also to help light the dark and dreary place was a faint, baby blue light that echoed throughout the walls. Takeru started to feel even more uncomfortable as he saw the pole dancers strutting on the tables, moving left and right to the beat of the music, in which the current choice was Techno. Takeru felt his mouth open as he stared at the place in shock.

"So Take, are you gonna stand..there, or are you going to…grab a seat?" Daisuke asked, as he slapped the blonde on his back. Takeru came out of his shock as he shook his head. He then turned to look at his companions.

"And what about Aiko and Miyako?.." Takeru asked. Ken smirked as he regarded him.

"What about them, man?..Consider this…the bachelor party you never had…" Ken said. Luckily, Takeru wasn't _that _sober enough to pick up the meaning of Ken's statement. He sighed tiredly as he examined the two.

"Okay, okay…no where do you wanna sit?" he asked. The other two looked around for a moment before Ken pointed over towards an empty table.

"Over there," Ken said. The other nodded as they made their way over to the table and sat down. Right as the three got themselves situated, a waitress, a beautiful young woman clad in a skimpy outfit, made her way over to the table. She smiled as she checked out the three young men.

"Why hello, guys," she said. The guys smiled in return as they examined her. Nice, long bleached blonde hair, and black mascara surrounded her eyes as they stared at her. Daisuke was the first to speak.

"Why hello beautiful. What you doin'?" Daisuke asked. The young woman grinned.

"Nothing much. How can I help you three?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. Ken and Daisuke smirked as they continued examining.

"Well, we want…you to help…our buddy here," Ken said, jabbing his thumb over towards Takeru. Takeru blushed as he felt the woman gaze over in his direction. He diverted his eyes so he didn't have to look at her. Unfortunately, it only caused him more attention as the woman bent over, and slid her left hand under his chin, tilting his face so he _had _to look at her. Takeru gulped as he gazed into her eyes.

"Why, hello there handsome. What's your name?" The female blonde asked. Takeru's mouth flew open, then shut, then opened again as he struggled to speak.

"Um, my name is…well, you can call me…T.K," Takeru spat out, not wanting to pronounce his full name to the girl. The woman smiled.

"Well T.K, why don't I show you and your buddies a good time?" she asked. Takeru stuttered as he was trying to find a way to reply. Ken and Daisuke decided not to leave their fellow companion hanging, so they decided to respond for him.

"Sorry to break this to you…"

"Angel," the girl said.

"Well, sorry to break this to you _Angel_, but me and my friend here are taken," Ken said, him and Daisuke lifting their hands to reveal golden bands on their ring fingers. Ken then smirked as he continued to speak. "But T.K. here is single, so feel free to help him in anyway you can." Ken smiled as he flashed some dollar bills. "Angel" smiled as she took the currency, slipping it into her short, baby blue skirt. She then turned to look back at the male blonde.

"So handsome, what would you like for me to do for you?" Angel asked. Daisuke turned to whisper in Ken's ear.

"You mean 'what would you like for me to do _to you_,'" Daisuke snickered, with Ken following suit as they both looked at their companion. Takeru's face continued to stay flushed as he glanced at her.

"Well, uh, that is, uh…" No coherent words could form in the blonde's mouth as he continued to look at her. Angel smirked as an idea came to her mind.

"Oh, I have an idea…how about I let you see 'The View'?" she asked. Takeru continued to stutter as Daisuke jabbed him in the side.

"Say 'yes'!" Daisuke exclaimed. Takeru quickly nodded his head in accordance to his friend's statement. Angel grinned.

"That's what I thought you'd say," she said. Her hands then went behind her back, where she loosened the straps on her bra. A moment later, she hands, as her bra dropped to the floor, revealing her breasts to Takeru and his friends. Takeru and the others couldn't help but look in shock, until Angel situated herself in Takeru's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ken and Daisuke couldn't help but laugh at the predicament.

"So, you like?.." Angel asked, whispering in Takeru's ear seductively. Takeru could only manage a nod as he felt a certain member of his anatomy stiffen at their contact. Angel smirked as she noticed this, and adjusted herself a little so that she rubbed against him. Takeru managed a groan as he tried looking away from her. "Hmm, interesting." Angel grinned at him. "Why don't I-"

"Hey Angel!" a voice shouted from the other side of strip joint. Angel turned her head to look at them.

"What?! Can't you see I'm busy?!" Angel yelled in response. Takeru and the other two young men turned their attention to the voice, which was a young man, around their age or older on the other side of the bar. How old he really was, they couldn't tell because of the lack of lighting within the club. Angel sighed in annoyance as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Can you excuse me for a moment guys? I have to talk to someone. But don't worry, I _will _be back," she grinned. Ken and Daisuke nodded in rapid succession, and Takeru just dumbly nodded as he couldn't find a thing to say.

"Good. Well boys, I'll see you in a few minutes. While I'm gone, do you boys want any drinks?" Angel asked. The boys nodded. Angel smiled. "Then what will you be having?" she asked.

"Just three waters, please," Takeru managed to get out. Angel smiled as she looked at Takeru.

"Alrighty then. See you in a few minutes, handsome," Angel said. And with that, Angel left Takeru's lap, with the three young men staring at her retreating back as it faded into the socialscape of the cabaret. Takeru shook his head as he turned to look at his two friends.

"Guys, I want to leave, now…" Takeru said, bullets of sweat lining his face, as drops slowly trickled their way down his cheeks. Daisuke and Ken just smirked at the blonde as Daisuke jabbed his elbow into Takeru's side, again.

"Fine, be a party pooper. But can we have..ten more minutes? Please?" Daisuke asked, clasping his hands together in the "please, pretty please" gesture. Takeru just sighed.

"Fine, but only ten minutes. Got it?.." Takeru asked. Daisuke and Ken happily nodded. "Good." Takeru tiredly sighed as he switched his gaze onto the other dancers in the club. As his eyes traveled through the haze, his blue orbs rested on a young woman strutting herself on the pole. Colors became disoriented as he tried to focus on her. He shook his head as he looked away for a moment.

_Man, I need some water, _Takeru thought. He then opened his eyes as he focused upon the young woman again. As he took closer notice of her, his eyes widened when she opened her own eyes. Takeru's mouth hung open as he looked at the young woman, and for the second time today, he spouted the same sentence.

_It can't be..it just can't be…_

"_Hikari?..."_

* * *

And the plot thickens…did Takeru really see Taichi in New Orleans, and if so, what is he doing there? And what about Hikari? Was she a hallucination as well? All this and more will be answered in the next chapter of **Derailed**!!

As always, thanks for taking the time to read, and as always, please read and review. I love hearing your input, whether it be good or constructive.

Well, until the next chapter, later!!- Malcolm Yuy


	5. Meetings and Even More Questions

A.N.: Hello everyone, and welcome to the fourth chapter of **Derailed! **First, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed. It's nice to know that you like this story, and that you wonder what will happen next.

Oh, and I want to apologize for **NOT **updating during these past three months. Things have been taking over my time: laziness, writer's block, apprehension, and finishing classes for the semester. Hopefully, with this next semester ironed out, if I study regularly, then I'll have less stress, and I will probably write more. If this occurs, then I'll try to update at least once, maybe twice a month for this fic, or more, depending on how much creativity flows through me.

I also edited the previous chapters to be more consistent and error free, so feel free to reread if it suits you…

Synopsis: Last time we left our protagonist, he finally made his way into New Orleans, with Ken and Daisuke not too far behind. After settling into the hotel, Takeru decided that instead of taking rest (and he really should because of the jet lag), that he would explore the town instead. After stopping and eating at a café, the young man pondered upon memories past, and as he left the café, he bumped into someone that resembled Yagami Taichi, the older brother of his former lover. After calling Ken and Daisuke to Pat O'Brien's, the three discussed matters, and then they took Takeru to _Rick's Cabaret, _where they had fun hassling the young man. However, as the effects of alcohol were rubbing off on Takeru, he turned his head to see a young woman that resembled his lost love, Hikari. Did he really see Hikari and her brother as well? Or will only more questions be asked?

Anyway, after waiting a grueling three months, I present to you the fourth chapter…

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"**Derailed"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

_Chapter 04: Meetings and Even More Questions_

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The hotel phone made an irritable ring as Takeru was scared awake. He bolted from the bed as he shook his head. "What the hell?" he asked himself, as he turned to pick up the phone. He then clutched his head in pain as he put the phone in his hand.

_It's déjà vu all over again, _he thought as a voice spoke on the other end.

"_This is your five a.m. wake-up call. I repeat, this is your five a.m. wake-up call. Have a good day._" The message then ended, and Takeru placed the phone back on the receiver.

"Five a.m.?.." Takeru then gripped his head in agony as he felt the headache go on through. "Damn, what a headache. Thank Kami I brought some aspirin with me," Takeru replied as he got out of bed, and went over to his suitcase. After unpacking it, he took out the aspirin container and popped a few pills into his mouth. "Hopefully they'll make me feel better. Now I have to get ready to meet that kid," Takeru said to himself, yawning as he made his way to the bathroom. As he began stripping himself of his garments and stepping into the shower, he realized that he was still wearing the clothes from the night before.

"Weird. I must've been so hammered that I forgot to change clothes. Oh well," Takeru shrugged, before stepping into the shower. Hot water doused his skin as he began scrubbing his hair, and he closed his eyes as he was doing so.

_What did happen last night? I wonder… _Takeru then squinted as he tried to recall what had happen during the previous night. A brief memory then flashed as he opened his eyes.

"_Hikari?.." _Takeru's eyes widened in shock as he realized what he had said the night before, and began realizing just-in-fact what he _had _been doing. He remembered meeting the guys at Pat O'Brien to not only eat, but to talk about something else he had seen earlier that day.

_But what was it? _Takeru closed his eyes again as he began to lather and rinse other parts of his anatomy. He then tried to focus on what happened the day before. _What was it? What did I see that made me want to talk to Ken and Daisuke about it?.._ Another quick memory then appeared as the young blond saw a quick flash of just who else he saw that day.

_Taichi? Why did I see him? And why didn't he notice me? Maybe Ken was right. Maybe I am just hallucinating, _Takeru thought as the finishing washing himself off. He then turned the shower knobs to the left as he shut the system off. Steam rose as stepped out, and he took care to dry himself with a white towel, before wrapping it around his waist securely. He then went to the sink, and began brushing his teeth. After spitting out the toothpaste, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, sullenly.

_So was Hikari a hallucination too?..Probably so. I need to start spending time in reality more,_ Takeru thought. He then put on the clothes that he was going to wear for the day and then examined himself one last time. He then sighed to himself as he removed an English copy of his book from his suitcase. He then headed towards the door, and checked himself one last time to make sure he had everything he needed- his wallet, his cell-phone, and his room key. He then sighed again as he opened the door.

_Well, here I go. Hopefully I can make a good impression upon these kids. Now just relax Takeru, you have nothing to worry about, nothing at all…_Takeru then placed his hands in his jacket pockets as he made his way towards the elevator.

_Nothing, at, all…_

_----------------------------------------_

_Ah, here we are, R.M. Lusher Elementary School, _Takeru thought, as he stepped out of the taxi that the company had called earlier. A small smile came upon his face as he opened the school doors, and soon enough, the young blond entered the main office. He made his way up to the counter.

"How may I help you sir?" a woman asked. From Takeru's point-of-view, she looked to be middle-aged…grey streaks in her brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and wearing glasses. Takeru silently nodded to himself.

"Ah, yes. I'm Takeru Takaishi, the writer…"

"Ah, yes, Mr. Takaishi, I remember now. Can you please show me some form of identification?" Takeru complied as he handed her his passport. After examining it for a few minutes, she handed it back to him. "So, I've heard that one of our students won your contest, is that right?" she asked. Takeru nodded.

"Yes, and I was wondering if you could direct me to their classroom," Takeru asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes sir. What is the student's name?.."

"His name is Hikeru Green, I believe…" Takeru wiggled a finger wistfully as he thought about the person the name was for. He hoped he would impress the young boy.

"Hikeru Green…let me see…" the secretary began searching through the computer databanks until she smiled, as she had found a result. She then looked back up to the young man.

"Hikeru Green, six years old. First grade, Ms. Sanderson, Room Two o-three.," the secretary answered.

"Thank you." Takeru slightly bowed before leaving the secretary's desk. He shook his head as he walked down the hallway.

_Six years old? First grade? Man, those employees sure need to double-check their information, _Takeru thought, sighing irritably. He then stopped as he approached the door, which on the side read _203. _He then placed his hand softly against the door.

_Well, here goes nothing…_ Takeru tugged at his shirt collar before softly knocking on the light brown portal. He heard a "Come in," and slowly but surely, wrapped his hand around the knob, and opened the door. A smile came upon his face as he greeted the teacher and her students. Ms. Sanderson smiled back, and then turned to face her students.

"Class, it looks like we have a visitor." The class turned their attention towards Takeru as he made his way towards the teacher. He stood directly in front of her, and then turned to face the class. He couldn't help but grin at them as he saw them.

_They're so..small. It sort of reminds me of when I was little, _Takeru thought as he chuckled to himself. He then slightly bowed towards the class.

"Hello. My name is Takeru Takaishi, and I'm the author of-"

"-the author of _Adventures in the Digital World_!" one of the kids shouted. Takeru could only chuckle as he saw Ms. Sanderson give the lad a stern glare.

"Michael, remember what we went over earlier about guests?" Ms. Sanderson asked. Michael grinned.

"Yes ma'am," he piped. Ms. Sanderson then placed her hands on her hips.

"And what would that be?.."

"That we should cheer in a chorus of 'yays' and 'hoorahs'?" The other children around him laughed as Michael couldn't help but crack a joke. Takeru couldn't help but laugh at the kid's cleverness.

_Clearly this kid is the class clown, _Takeru thought. Ms. Sanderson shook her head as she turned over to look at him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Takaishi. I hope this doesn't offend you in any way," Ms. Sanderson. Takeru grinned as he shook his head.

"No, not at all. After all, weren't we all kids once? It's entertaining to see the…_lack of restraint_ these children had. Now, which one of you was the winner of my contest?" Takeru asked. No one seemed to speak up as the young blond examined the class. Ms. Sanderson sighed as she glimpsed at the students before turning her attention back towards the man next to her.

"You have to excuse Hikeru, Mr. Takaishi. You can say that he's somewhat…"

"-_timid_?" Takeru asked, finishing Ms. Sanderson's sentence for her. She nodded. She then forced a smile upon her face as she turned back to face the class.

"Hikeru, would you please raise your hand?" Ms. Sanderson asked. Takeru continued to regard the children as he searched through their ranks for the winner of his contest. Slowly but surely, one hand raised from the rest, and Takeru's blue orbs came into contact with forest colored ones. Takeru smiled as he looked at the young man before him. Like himself, Hikeru had shaggy hair, but it was primarily light brown. Hikeru managed to smile nervously as he looked at his favorite author with his green orbs.

"Um, _O…Ohayo **(short for good morning)**_ Takaishi-_san **(a term used for someone of respect, like Mister, Mrs., or Ms.)**_," Hikeru replied frantically. The other students looked at each other and at Hikeru in confusion. Takeru continued to smile at the boy.

"Ohayo Hikeru. I want to say congratulations for winning my contest." Hikeru's eyes perked up as a small smile appeared on his face. "Now, which passage would you like for me to read first?" Takeru asked. Hikeru nodded.

"The one where Angemon defeats Devimon," Hikeru piped up eagerly. Takeru smiled in response, remembering that past event.

"All right." Ms. Sanderson pulled Takeru a chair to situate himself in. Once seated, he then turned to his book, looking through the Table of Contents until he found the chapter where the passage was located. He then began reading.

_Chapter Ten: The Angel and the Devil…_

_Take shuddered as he looked into the menacing face of his enemy. This enemy was the one who had turned two of his allies into enemies- Leomon and Ogremon, with the help of the Black Gears. Red eyes glanced back at him, and at the group of Chosen Children before him. Dark, pale, violet lips curled into an evil smile as he looked upon them, a demon standing within the fog. His name was Devimon._

_Devimon was a tall, dark, and lanky digimon that was the epitome of evil. Or, that's what Take thought at least. His friends, including his brother, Matt, had tried everything they could to destroy the digimon that was plaguing the Digital World. Yet, even with the strength of Greymon, Garurumon, Birdramon, Togemon, Ikkakumon and Kabuterimon combined, they still couldn't take down the demonic menace._

_And now, the only two digimon that remained in the fight were Greymon and Garurumon. And things weren't looking good._

"_Nova Blast!" Greymon roared as he shot a fireball right towards Devimon. The devil smirked as he simply swatted the projectile away, and in a flash, flew forward and thrashed the huge dinosaur. Greymon roared in pain as he collided into a nearby mountain. His energy spent, he reverted back to Agumon. Devimon chuckled as he now looked upon the little dinosaur._

"_Aw, are you tired? Don't worry, I'll put you to rest soon enough!" Devimon exclaimed, as he reared his claws forward to put an end to the dino-digimon's life. Take and his friends could only look on in horror._

"_Agumon, NO!!!" Tai yelled. He was about to make a break for his digital companion when he felt someone intervene. Looking to his right, he saw Matt, who's arm was blocking Tai's way to his friend._

"_Tai, don't! You don't want to get killed, do you?" Matt asked, looking at his comrade. Tai shook his head._

"_Of course not Matt! But I don't want Agumon to die either," Tai said. Matt shook his head._

"_I know. But don't worry. Garurumon!" Matt shouted. Garurumon nodded his head as he ran towards Devimon._

"_Right. Howling Blaster!" A blue fiery beam emitted from Garurumon's mouth as it struck Devimon in the back. The satanic digimon groaned in pain as the children cheered the wolf digimon on._

"_You have been a thorn in my side for too long," Devimon stated, as he glared at Garurumon. Garurumon just returned his glare full force._

"_Same to you buddy," Gaurumon replied. He then growled as he pounced on Devimon. The two then began wrestling around upon the ground, Garurumon trying to bite at Devimon's neck. The children continued cheering the white-blue wolf on. Matt took a moment to turn his attention back towards Tai._

"_See, I told you not to worry," he said. Tai smiled in response._

"_Arigato." Agumon then managed to make his way over to them, despite the condition he was in. Tai sighed with relief as Agumon made his way into his arms._

"_I tried my best Tai," Agumon said, before collapsing in his human companion's arms, passing out from exhaustion. Tai closed his eyes as he thought of his digital friend._

"_And you did the best you could do, Agumon. Now you need to rest," Tai said. He then opened his eyes as he turned his concentration back towards the battle._

"_Come on Garurumon, come on!" Matt yelled. Garurumon was still on top of Devimon as the two were continuing their wrestling match. Devimon was barely able to keep the wolf's jaws from clenching around his neck. Garurumon growled as he put more power towards his bite. The children looked on, thinking that their struggle with the demon was about to come to an end._

_But alas, it was not so. For just when it looked like Garurumon seized victory, Devimon gained the upper hand by managing to get himself back up, therefore pushing Garurumon off of him. Garurumon slid among the ground as his paws tried to gain bearing. Devimon smirked as he looked at the digital wolf._

"_You almost had me there. However, I won't let that happen again!" Devimon roared as he then shot a black blast of energy in anger. It traveled through the air at a supersonic speed, colliding with Garurumon's face, knocking the wolf digimon off his feet and propelling him into the air. Devimon then dashed forward and knocked him into the mountain side. Garurumon howled in pain at the impact._

"_Garurumon!" Matt shouted. He tried to go to him, but this time Tai was the one holding him. Now the roles were reversed._

"_Matt, don't! Remember what you said to me?" Tai said. Matt solemnly nodded as he looked on in despair. Now his digital companion was the one whose life was in danger. A blue light glowed from Garurumon as he shrunk, transforming back into Gabumon. Unlike his dinosaur friend though, Gabumon was injured even more as he proved immobile. Devimon loomed over him, his shadow covering the dog-like creature._

"_You put up a good fight Gabumon, but now this is where it comes to an end," Devimon replied. The children looked on in suspense, thinking they were about to see one of their digital companions slaughtered, and there was nothing they could do about it. And why? Because all of their digimon were too tired to fight. That, and even if they could, they wouldn't be powerful enough to stop the demon. They felt useless._

"_This, this can't be…" Take said, as tears began forming in his eyes. He and Patamon glanced from one of their companions to the next, noticing the frightened expressions they wore, as they each held their respective digimon within their arms. Each digimon was worn out, and injured beyond control. They all had tried their best, fighting Devimon, as well as protecting them. And what could Take and Patamon do? Patamon couldn't evolve. And if he could, would he be strong enough to take down Devimon? The last thing Take wanted was to see his brother's digimon fall at the hands of this evil creature._

"_I wish…" Take mumbled. Tears continued falling down his face as he sniffed his nose. "I wish…I wish we could stop him!" he exclaimed. His digivice then began to glow a white radiance._

"_Well Gabumon, it's been nice meeting you, but now, I'm sorry to say that you have to depart. Tata," Devimon said, ready to thrash his claws forward and end the little digimon's life. Gabumon's eyes looked down at the ground in despair._

"_I'm sorry Matt. I'm sorry everyone. I tried…" Gabumon said. He then closed his eyes, ready to feel the pain of death, the pain of Devimon's claws ripping into him…_

_But nothing came. _

"_What?!" Devimon exclaimed, as a white light blinded him from performing his task. He shielded his eyes, pain resulting from the light. The light then faded, and he looked on in horror as he saw what, or who, floated in its place. For in the light's place, was the evolved form of Patamon. His name was Angemon, and he was an angel digimon, a perfect foil to demon the children were facing. Angemon stood there with staff in hand, glowing a faint white as he looked at the demonic digimon through his helmet._

"_For too long you have plagued the Digital World, Devimon. Now it's time for your tyranny to come to a halt," Angemon said, as he thrusted his staff forward in Devimon's direction. Devimon smirked as he turned back to look at the angelic digimon._

"_And what do you think you can do, Angemon? None of your other companions could defeat me," Devimon replied._

"_But where they failed, I will succeed," Angemon stated._

"_Then show me," Devimon said. _

"_Gladly," Angemon smirked. He then flew forward, the two opposites clashing in fury of light and dark. Meanwhile, the children hurried over to their injured companion while they had the chance._

"_Gabumon, I'm so glad you're all right," Matt cried, as he embraced his digital companion. Gabumon returned his embrace as he rubbed his friend's back. _

"_Me too Matt, me too…" The children then looked on as they saw the angel and devil continue to clash._

"_Do you think Angemon has a chance?" Sor asked, looking at their unappointed leader. Tai just shrugged._

"_Who knows? We haven't seen his power yet. Maybe he's the hope we've been waiting for," Tai said, as he glanced down at his rival's little brother. Take just continued to watch his digimon duke it out against their opponent._

"_We're an even match Angemon. There is no way you can defeat me, so give up," Devimon said. Angemon bared his teeth at the devil._

"_Never," Angemon said. The two then stood there, waiting for the other to attack. Devimon just smirked at the angel._

"_Well then, if you won't make a move, then I will!" Devimon shouted, as he accelerated towards Angemon. Angemon poised his staff ready as Devimon made his way toward him. Just about when Devimon was about to strike, Angemon maneuvered his staff to collide with the demon's chest._

"_Angel Staff!!!" Devimon was rocked back as he now collided with the side of the mountain, roaring in pain at his injury. Angemon slowly walked towards him, and Devimon then noticed that one of Angemon's hands were curled into a fist, and now a golden-orange light was beginning to glow from it._

"_You think that I'm not powerful enough to defeat you Devimon? Well, you're wrong. Everyone, aim your digivices towards me!" Angemon instructed. The children could do nothing but listen to his words, as they pointed their digital devices at him. Take looked on in worriment at his digital companion. Angemon sensed this, and turned back to look at his friend._

"_Don't worry Take. Everything will be just fine. Now, will you help me?" Angemon asked._

"_Uh huh!" Take nodded as he wiped his tears from his eyes, and aimed his digivice towards his angelic friend. Seven white lights combined into one, which then fed the golden-orange fist. Angemon's fist then vibrated with power as he aimed at Devimon's chest._

"_You shall plague the Digital World no longer demon. It ends here and now. Hand of Fate!" Angemon exclaimed, the golden-orange light transforming into an energy blast. It fired from Angemon's hand as it traveled through the air. Devimon tried to move, but it was to no avail as the orange-gold light struck him in his chest. The demon roared in pain as he realized his death had come, as he began digitizing into data._

"_He did it! Angemon defeated Devimon!" Tai shouted._

"_Yay!!!" the rest of the children shouted, as they began celebrating their victory. They then hurried over towards Angemon, as they stood behind him. But, their celebration came to a stop as they saw that he too was digitizing into data. Devimon smirked at the angel._

"_Fool, you're dying too," the demon stated. Angemon smiled._

"_But I can rest, knowing that you're gone." Devimon then dissipated into data, leaving Angemon to himself._

"_Angemon…" Angemon turned his head to see Take standing there, crying as he saw only half of the angelic digimon now. Angemon gave his small friend a sad smile as he looked at him._

" _It's okay, Take. Everything will be all right. Remember, I will always be with you." And with the ending of that statement, Angemon faded._

"_Angemon!!!" Take shouted, crying over his lost friend. His other companions bowed their heads in respect for what the angelic digimon had done. Take couldn't help but continue to cry as he looked down at the ground._

"_Hey Take, look!" a voice shouted. _

"_Huh?" Take looked up as he saw a few white, angel feathers float down towards him. He caught them with his hands as they began to form a pile. "Angemon…" was all Take could say, as he sniffed his nose again. The white feathers then glowed as they merged, and formed into an oval object. And when the light faded, all that was left was a white egg with orange stripes…_

------------------------------------------

"I wonder how Takeru's doin'?" Daisuke asked, taking a swig of ice water as he and Ken were currently dining at some restaurant in town. Ken just shrugged his shoulders as the two were waiting on their food.

"He's probably okay. At least, I hope so. You'd think he would've had a huge hangover from last night. I know I did," Ken said.

"Yeah, but he didn't drink as much as we did. Besides, he's a children novelist. He probably does great with kids, unlike me. Every time I try to hold my son, he bawls," Daisuke stated. Ken just sent him a sympathetic look.

"Didn't you said you had the greatest kid in the world earlier?" Ken asked. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders in response.

"He is...only not when I hold him."

"Cheer up. He's only about what? Three months old? You'll do fine," Ken said. Daisuke flashed a smile at his friend.

"Thanks." He then looked outside the window at the passerby. "So..about what Take said last night…do you really think he may've hallucinated?" Daisuke asked. Ken took a gulp of his drink.

"Maybe, maybe not. I just think that with the demons he's been dealing with, it's been affecting him physically as well as mentally. I think coming here with him might just give him the break he needs," Ken responded. Daisuke turned back to examine him.

"I sure hope so. That guy needs all the rest he can get," Daisuke said.

"I agree with that…"

"Here is your order gentlemen," a server said, as they placed two plates of _nourriture _upon the table. The two men smiled at them.

"Thank you," Daisuke said. The server turned to smile at Daisuke.

"You're welcome," they replied. They then faded away, leaving the two to themselves again. They got out their silverware as they began cutting their courses.

"Well, whatever happens, I just hope that Takeru is happy from here on out," Daisuke said.

"Me too. Let's eat!!!"

-----------------------------------------------

"Thank you again for coming Mr. Takaishi," Ms. Sanderson said.

"Anytime. Of course, I am here because of the contest. But, despite the situation, I'm glad I'm here. New Orleans has helped brighten my spirits up a bit," Takeru stated, smiling. Ms. Sanderson smiled as well.

"I'm glad you feel that way. I know this may sound..corny, but would you like to join me and the other teachers for lunch?" Ms. Sanderson asked.

"Sure," Takeru nodded.

"Great!" She then turned back to her class. "All right now children, it's lunch time. Please get whatever lunchables you may have and get to a single file line. We'll be leaving shortly," the teacher said.

"Yes ma'am," the kids chorused, before running to their cubbies to retrieve their lunches. As Takeru was watching this with amusement, he felt a tug upon his pants. "Huh?" he looked down to see Hikeru smiling up at him.

"Hello Takaishi-san," Hikeru said. Takeru crouched to Hikeru's eye level.

"Hello Hikeru. Congrats again on winning my contest," Takeru smiled.

"Um, thanks. Uh, I brought a copy of your book, and I, uh, was wondering if…" Hikeru trailed off as he looked down at his feet, showing his book to the tall blond. Takeru lightly chuckled.

"Oh, I see. Sure I'll sign it," Takeru replied. Hikeru smiled as he looked back up to his idol.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," Takeru answered. Hikeru quickly handed him the book as Takeru opened it up to an empty space behind the cover. "Now Hikeru, is there anything you'd like for me to write?" Takeru asked. The boy just shrugged.

"Uh, not really…"

"Well then, I just write this…" Takeru scribbled in a message, before singing his signature and handing the book back to Hikeru. "There you go." Takeru said. Hikeru bowed.

"Arigato."

"Well class, if you're ready, let's depart," Ms. Sanderson said. She then turned to Hikeru. "Hikeru dear, I think you may want to join your classmates in line, hmm?" she asked. Hikeru nodded.

"Yes ma'am," he said politely. He turned to look at the young man standing beside her.

"We'll talk more later, if that's what you'd like," Takeru said. Hikeru grinned.

"Sure." He then joined his classmates in a single-file line, and with the two adults at the front, they departed for the cafeteria...

---------------------------------

"It's a pleasure meeting you Mr. Takaishi. My family and I own all of your books so far, and I must say you're quite the writer. Where do you get the imagination for such stories?" one of the male teachers asked. Takeru just laughed.

"Let's just say, I got the creativity from 'life experiences'," Takeru stated. The other teachers just laughed.

"Oh, quite I'm sure," the same teacher said. Takeru just smiled. He then turned to look at Ms. Sanderson.

"So, if I may ask you Ms. Sanderson, what's it like being a teacher here? From what I've seen so far, it looks like you have a great bunch of kids," Takeru complimented. Ms. Sanderson smiled.

"They are Mr. Takaishi, they really are. I'm just lucky I guess," Ms. Sanderson said. One of the teachers lightly jabbed Takeru in the side.

"She's just saying that because it's her first year," they whispered. Takeru chuckled.

"Well, I hope your years here as teacher keep getting better and better," Takeru said.

"Thank you," Ms. Sanderson nodded.

"Don't mention it. Now, may I ask a question, if I may be so bold?" Takeru asked.

"Why certainly," Ms. Sanderson replied.

"Well, I was a little curious about Hikeru…besides from his name, it seems like he knows a little of Japanese lingo," Takeru inquired.

"Well, that's because he's Japanese, at least partially. I've met his mother once, and from what I remember I think her husband was from Japan," Ms. Sanderson said. Takeru raised an eyebrow at her answer.

"Oh, really? That's interesting," Takeru stated. After the young blond finished his sentence, yelling was heard, which made Ms. Sanderson suddenly get up from her seat.

"Excuse me." Takeru followed her with his eyes as she went toward a table, which was apparently where her class was situated. Apparently, two of the boys at the table had gotten into an argument, and began pushing each other back-and-forth. Takeru watched with interest, until one of the boys was pushed into the back of his contest winner, whose face made an impact upon the table.

Being shocked, Takeru got up from the table and raced over as Ms. Sanderson began braking up the fight. He took the little tyke by the arm and bent over so he could see his face.

"Hey Hikeru, are you okay?" Takeru asked. What happened next shocked the young man, as the little boy looked up to meet Takeru's eyes with his own.

His eyes were blue, a blue that matched his own…

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Uh oh, Hikeru has blue eyes! How will this revelation make Takeru more interested in the young lad? And did he really see Hikari and Taichi? Only more questions can be pondered at this point…so, you'll have to wait for the next chapter of **Derailed **to find out!!!

I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't that long, but…it wasn't really intended to be. It was just written to help get me back in the swing of things for this fic. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer and more interesting. As always, review if you can, and until next time, peace out!- _Malcolm Yuy_


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